Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) is a retired gunslinger, attempting to live a quiet and peaceful life with his family, before a shocking turn of events occur. A man from his violent past resurfaces, setting off a chain of events that drags Briggs back into the life he tried to leave behind. What follows is a familiar Western journey of grief, justice, revenge and violence, played out across the harsh and unforgiving landscape of the American west. Well worth watching if you’re sustainable to a Western throwback. It’s worth noting that The Old Way is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Brett Donowho
Writers: Carl W. Lucas
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Noah Le Gros
Directed by Brett Donowho and written by Carl W. Lucas, The Old Way is yet another steady entry into the modern-day Western genre over recent years, following the likes of The Salvation (2014), The Duel (2016), The Sisters Brothers (2018), Never Grow Old (2019), and News of the World (2020). Interestingly, after a long and detailed career, this was categorised as the first traditional Western starring Nicolas Cage.
It must be said that The Old Way is built around a very straightforward and familiar story of revenge. There are no real twists or unexpected turns along the way, and across its modest ninety-five minute runtime, the filmmakers manage to stick to a largely predictable, dialogue-heavy path. Another aspect worth highlighting is the action itself. While the film does feature a fair amount of action sequences for a picture of this nature, they can, at times, come across as somewhat underwhelming in terms of execution and impact.
With that being said, the production value is certainly worth noting, with both the costume and set design feeling authentic and well-suited to the films setting and overall feel. The filmmakers also make solid use of the filming locations, with Montana, United States serving as the primary backdrop. In addition to this, the Yellowstone Filming Ranch was utilised for a large portion of the flick, helping to reinforce the film’s believable Western atmosphere.

In terms of the cast, Nicolas Cage starred as the lead man, Colton Briggs, commanding the majority of screentime, while Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Noah Le Gros adopted the role of Brooke Briggs and James McCallister, respectively, providing heavy support throughout. Elsewhere, there was an appearance from Nick Searcy, adopting the role of law enforcement, an important fixture of any film that sits within the Western genre.
All in all, The Old Way manages to covey a simplistic story that rarely takes risks, albeit with the action and pacing, at times, holding the film back. With that being said, there are still enough positives for it to come across as thoroughly watchable from a viewer’s perspective. As previously touched upon, The Old Way is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
“Nothing belongs to the dead, because the dead don’t need anything.”
Colton Briggs – The Old Way
