Overview
A widowed farmer's quiet life is shattered when a stranger arrives with a dangerous secret.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- somber
- western movie night
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a well-crafted, satisfying revisionist western elevated by Tim Blake Nelson’s poignant and steely performance, though some found its genre conventions overly familiar.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry's concealed identity and the film's elegiac treatment of his past complicate the familiar old west legend.
The wounded stranger's arrival brings armed pursuers to Henry's farm, turning family space into a fortified battleground.
Henry initially appears to be a widowed farmer, while his surprising gun-slinging ability gradually raises questions about who he was.
The remote Oklahoma homestead and gritty ensemble performances ground the western in hard rural living rather than spectacle.
Films like Old Henry, and why
Unforgiven
Shares a revisionist western mode, morally complicated gunslinger, restrained violence, and somber reflection on mythic frontier legends.
The Shootist
Shares a contained western setting, escalating homestead danger, terse masculinity, and a protagonist haunted by a violent past.
3:10 to Yuma
Shares an old-fashioned western structure, hidden identity, frontier suspense, and a gradual shift from domestic drama to gunfight.
Movie Details
- Director
- Potsy Ponciroli
- Release Date
- 2021-10-01
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (772)
Cast
- Tim Blake Nelson
- Scott Haze
- Gavin Lewis
- Stephen Dorff
- Trace Adkins
- Richard Speight Jr.
- Max Arciniega
- Brad Carter
- Kent Shelton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 Old Henry about?
- A widowed Oklahoma farmer’s refuge becomes a deadly test of trust when armed men pursue an injured stranger to his homestead.
- What is Old Henry like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Old Henry as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Old Henry violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Old Henry as moderate.
- What did critics think of Old Henry?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a well-crafted, satisfying revisionist western elevated by Tim Blake Nelson’s poignant and steely performance, though some found its genre conventions overly familiar.
- Which films are like Old Henry?
- Films with a similar feel include Unforgiven, The Shootist, and 3:10 to Yuma.
- How long is Old Henry?
- Old Henry runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Old Henry?
- In United States, Old Henry streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
