Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- rugged
- morally conflicted
- western movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well-framed, well-cast, and involving, but too conventional and emotionally flat to distinguish itself from other Billy the Kid westerns.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rio Cutler and his sister encounter Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, with Rio evaluating both men as possible role models.
The film presents Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett through an adolescent perspective rather than a straightforward heroic outlaw biography.
Rio and Sara's flight exposes them to competing models of violence, authority, loyalty, and survival.
Critical reception specifically praises the film as well-framed, while its New Mexico Territory setting supports broad western landscape imagery.
Films like The Kid, and why
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
revisionist western treatment of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett with morally ambiguous lawmen and outlaws
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
period western drama centered on a young witness caught between an outlaw and pursuing authority
Hostiles
character-driven western combining historical outlaw mythology, family peril, and atmospheric frontier violence
True Grit
stylized western drama about a young protagonist navigating dangerous adult codes of loyalty and violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Release Date
- 2019-03-08
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (337)
Cast
- Ethan Hawke
- Dane DeHaan
- Jake Schur
- Leila George
- Adam Baldwin
- Chris Pratt
- Charlie Chappell
- Clint Obenchain
- Chris Bylsma
- Chad Dashnaw
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Kid about?
- Two runaway siblings become witnesses to the collision between Billy the Kid’s outlaw mythology and Pat Garrett’s relentless frontier justice.
- What is The Kid like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Kid as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Kid violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Kid as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Kid?
- Critics broadly found the film well-framed, well-cast, and involving, but too conventional and emotionally flat to distinguish itself from other Billy the Kid westerns.
- Which films are like The Kid?
- Films with a similar feel include Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Hostiles, and True Grit.
- How long is The Kid?
- The Kid runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Kid?
- In United States, The Kid streams on Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium Plus.
