THE THICKET is a new western that played a few theaters last year and now is on Tubi (who have their name on the credits). I was aware of it because it’s based on a book by Joe R. Lansdale – I don’t know the book, but his name will usually draw my attention. That said, I’m always wary of an indie western in this day and age. Maybe I’m generalizing, but most of them I’ve come across just don’t cut it. I put this one on, though, and I immediately thought oh shit, this is a real movie.
Honestly I was shocked how beautiful this thing looks. It’s a snowy one, shot on location in Calgary, with a real eye for those times when there’s a little sun out, reflecting on skin, bringing a little color, not just white and grey. Or sun beams floating down between tree branches, lightly powdering the frame with white. Credit is due to cinematographer Guillermo Garza, who seems to have gotten really good at his craft on many music videos and at least one Adidas commercial.
Here’s a frame I grabbed. The poor guy’s afraid he’s gonna get shot and I’m marveling at the lighting. But that’s the movies.
Yeah, I know, I agree – John Woo’s 
Not to brag but we all know the secret to my great success in this most respected artform of filmatic criticism is my appeal to the youths. You almost definitely can’t tell, it’s basically imperceptible to the human eye, but the individual pictured to the left here is not a cool young teen. He is in fact an adult man of age. But he wears a headband and passes for a youth. That’s pretty much what my reviews are like. Grown up, but ageless, vital, wearing a headband with a picture of a skull on it. Cool. 
