Don’t want to be a spoiler for those who want to see it, but YUCK. I expected more of you, Robert Redford.
Nope. It was “released everywhere” except not really. Last time I checked, it was in exactly one theater in PA.
One.
I read mixed reviews online. Non horse people like it, horse people do not.
I’d go see it in theaters if it came anywhere close to me.
The preview looked good. I always say oh I want to watch that movie and then never do. What didn’t you like about it?
I’m curious too about what put you off? It’s Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. I generally like what Redford does and Matthias Schoenaerts (sp?) is an excellent actor.
I heard mixed reviews - most stated it was a well done film but had a lot of the typical cliche horsey movie stuff - the “rough 'n tough” inmate matched up with the wild, untamable stallion (of COURSE it’s a stallion…), way too many horse “sounds” that are unrealistic but added for the sake of effects…
Basically, stuff that makes a good movie but makes actual horseman and women gag.
3 Likes
I read good reviews on NY Times etc., but the writers aren’t horse people. I was waiting for horse person reviews. Or I can write one myself if it ever appears on UK Netflix.
Yea the horse noises were overdone! It was a good overview of the prison training system I thought. But I guess I was thinking it would be more documentary-like or realistic I guess.
It was entertaining but I think non horse people would like it more than a horse person.
1 Like
I saw the previews, too, and fell in love with that Buckskin, but the movie pissed me off to no end.
So spoiler alerts, stop reading if you want to see it with a fresh viewpoint.
@Abbie.S summed it up, typically non-horseperson crap that makes us horse people want to gag. Prisoner with anger issues gets put into the horse program with ZERO experience because he formed a MAGIKAL connection with the horse who could not be tamed. The round penning scenes were horrendous… dude looks like he’s the Rock’s cousin and is glaring at the horse with apex predator eyes, then gets offended that the horse isn’t listening, then PUNCHES the horse! Then prisoner gets tackled (yay) but then you see the horse on the ground, too? WTH? And then the prisoner gets put into solitary but gets back into the horse program after he spends the night with the wild stallion who is now magically tame enough to stand inside the mess hall with just a rope around his neck while a storm rages outside.
Next thing you know the horse is broke and being ridden. And the atrocious riding… OMG what a beautiful horse, and to see it ridden around with horrid hands to the point where the underneath of his neck was constantly bulging and his head was straight up in the air. And it NEVER improves. UGG!
Finally, the stupid contrived plot about the prisoner, his daughter, and the other inmates made little to no sense. Why couldn’t they have made the movie ACCURATELY about the program itself? Focusing on the actual work, not going from wild untamed stallion to galloping in a group across the dessert with practically no in between? At the end they did show some of the actual inmates in the program, but this movie could have been a real showcase for it, instead, it’s just a mess. I can’t even imagine a non-horse person would enjoy it, I found all of the characters thoroughly unlikable.
13 Likes
Thanks Downen. Too bad. Will wait and rent it.
1 Like
I’ll still watch it. We have prison programs with horses and dogs here and it is something I’m passionate about. I tried to get a dog rescue type situation set up with our parolees when I was working in probation, but the budget just didn’t exist for it. If I ever win the lottery I want to follow through with making that type of program happen… absolutely.
I think sometimes people just need to sit back and realize that in movies certain liberties are taken to make them entertaining vs realistic. If you want “true to life” check out documentaries instead. I’ve had non horse friends ask me about this movie and actually seem interested in it so I think it offers a good platform, regardless of if it is super realistic or if there is a fantasy factor to draw more than just the horse crowd in.
2 Likes
It sounds good for Trashy Horse Movie Night with snacks & libations. Downen’s review is exactly what I expected based on the ads.
I wonder how many young reprobates think, “Dude, I’m gonna do some crimes so I’ll get ta Tame a Wild Stallion!!!”
3 Likes
seabiscuit was not flowery and such… and it was a great movie.
Secretariat was ‘ok’ but some directors just have to spoon feed the audience which is lazy and self conscious directing.
Redford did the same thing with the horse whisperer… he is not a good director.
7 Likes
I just saw an online ad for this movie so of course had to come here to see if anyone’s watched it! It looks like it is playing in my area and I’m thinking of going, either with a horsey friend or my non-horsey DH. Though I typically prefer more light-hearted fare.
I was wondering about that movie. I though it was a documentary…oh well. I probably won’t watch it then.
There are very few “horse” movies that I really enjoyed. Seabiscuit was one.
Has anyone seen “The Rider”? Not sure if it was even released in theatres. I thought it was a really thoughtfully done, modern take on westerns with authentic interactions with horses. One of the few movies I’d watch again.
2 Likes
:yes::yes::yes:
Agreed!
Kind of slow-moving, but I & horsey friends enjoyed it < including one gal with Lakota Sioux heritage.
I’d watch again :encouragement:
Pfooey on The Mustang.
The online trailer got me interested, but it’s not playing anywhere near me.
Sounds like a Redbox choice.
Perhaps with @Salty 's libations in the form of a drinking game:
For every godawful horse/human interaction you take a sip/gulp/shot 
Good to know! Scratch
2 Likes
Damn, I hate when I’m right.
I, too, will probably save it for a Netflix or Amazon Prime movie night with snacks and adult beverages.
I thought Seabiscuit was EXCELLENT - they stayed historically accurate, they focused on the human characters and involved the horse in realistic ways (making it obvious that they had some good horse handlers hired for the production of that film - there were still some excess horsey noises but I could look past that in this case) and the horse was largely used to explore and deepen the audiences connection to the humans involved through each of their relationships with Seabiscuit.
Another really well done horse movie? Hildago. Now, Viggo Mortensen can actually ride IRL, so that helped, but again, they clearly had good horse handlers/trainers on set and those that were shown on horseback actually looked like they BELONGED on horseback. I think the biggest horse movie flops tend to be when they try and put a complete non-rider actor on a horse and make it look good - all those close-up sequence-y shots of the horse’s feet moving, cut to the rider’s hands, cut to the horse’s face, cut to the rider’s face, cut to a really fast shot of the pair moving off together, cut to…it’s exhausting and you KNOW the director is covering up the fact that the actor they’ve got can’t actually ride. So your film gets severely limited, lacks realism and relies on crappy cliche horsey scenarios to bulk it up. John Q Public doesn’t know any better, but anyone who has spent time around horses does.
OK, stepping off my soapbox now.:lol:
2 Likes
So I just read a few reviews of it (Eberts was particularly good), and now have to see it.
I’m so out of the loop on movies and entertainment (other than game of thrones and kids’ movies, LOL), that I hadn’t even heard of this one.
Bummed to hear about The Mustang - it certainly came across as cheesy in previews but I had high hopes anyway. Sounds like I’ll be irritated by it.
I’d like to clarify that me thinking it would be a more realistic thing might be myself not researching enough ahead of time.
I thought the riding and the auction were very realistic. They do ride like crap for the most part because most have never ridden before!
I do think the whole "wild stallion only I can tame him is ridiculous " but it was a dramatization of how the prisoner/mustang thing kind of works.
I didn’t hate it. And I wasnt mad that I paid matinee price to see it
3 Likes
