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Joel Souza's Rust, finally seeing release in 2025 after a tumultuous and tragic production, arrives with a weight of expectation and somber reflection. The film itself, a Western centered on an outlaw grandfather and his estranged grandson on the run, attempts to capture the rugged beauty and inherent dangers of the American frontier. Souza's direction leans into the stark landscapes and the simmering tensions between its characters, aiming for a raw and authentic portrayal of a harsh and unforgiving era. The narrative, while familiar in its Western tropes, seeks to explore themes of family, legacy, and the cyclical nature of violence against the backdrop of a dusty, unforgiving landscape.

Alec Baldwin, in the lead role, delivers a performance that is both weathered and weary, embodying the grizzled outlaw with a palpable sense of history and regret. His portrayal anchors the film, providing a focal point for the unfolding drama and the grandson's coming-of-age journey amidst perilous circumstances. The supporting cast, while perhaps overshadowed by the film's production context, contributes to the authenticity of the setting, populating the frontier with believable and often desperate individuals. The film's visual style emphasizes the natural environment, utilizing wide shots to capture the vastness and isolation of the setting, contrasted with close-ups that highlight the emotional toll on its characters.

However, it's impossible to divorce the viewing experience from the tragic on-set incident that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. This shadow inevitably hangs over the film, coloring every scene and performance with a layer of unintended poignancy. While Souza bravely returns to complete his vision, the film's artistic merits are constantly juxtaposed with the real-world tragedy that occurred during its making. This creates a complex and often uncomfortable viewing experience, where appreciation for the filmmaking is intertwined with a profound sense of loss and the ethical considerations surrounding its release.

Despite the inherent challenges, Rust as a film showcases moments of genuine cinematic merit. Souza's commitment to telling this particular story of familial bonds and survival in the Old West is evident in the film's pacing and atmosphere. There are sequences that effectively build tension and capture the brutality of the era. The performances, particularly Baldwin's, offer glimpses of the intended emotional depth. Yet, the pervasive awareness of the tragedy remains an undeniable element of the film's reception, shaping its legacy in ways that no artistic critique can fully address.

Ultimately, Rust is a film that exists in a complex space, its narrative achievements forever intertwined with the real-life tragedy that marred its production. While Joel Souza manages to deliver a Western with moments of compelling storytelling and strong performances, the film's release serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of filmmaking. It's a viewing experience that demands not only critical assessment but also a degree of somber reflection on the events that overshadowed its creation.

Definitely worth the watch. Good acting, good story line, and it was all well done. I didn't find it slow at all. Captured our attention from the start, and the characters all made you sympathize with each of them in one way or another. They were all likeable, too. Would watch it again, and would recommend to anyone.

I get the politics around the release of the film, but this review is about the film, not any particular point of view.

If you don't agree with it being released, then don't watch it. But don't give it a poor rating because you don't agree with something that has nothing to do with the film itself.

The tragic circumstances surrounding the making of this film shouldn't be a weight on the gravity of the film itself. This is a serious, well-made production. It's well-written, beautifully shot, solid acting and a poignant story.

When Brandon Lee was killed in an accident during the making of "The Crow," there wasn't any sort of this type of outrage. It's not fair to Rust to apply a different standard to the same type of accident.

Rust is a story in the vein of "Unforgiven" in that it's a raw, real, lived-in western experience, not a piece of polished Hollywood piffle. It's rare that a film will take such chances, and Rust should be credited for having the guts to be raw and real.

As a western-fan I like the story, but it could have been more extensive. The problem is you get the clue quite early, and then it's just feeling like a slow chase scene for almost 2 hours.

The movie is 2 hours and 19 minutes, but things actually get more tensive after 1,5 hour. That's why it's 45 minutes too long. And for a movie that's too long, the finale ironically goes too fast. The movie doesn't have a "wow" but more "oh, okay..." effect after seeing the finale.

The characters are amazing, and can be turned into actual individual movies, especially 'the Preacher' played by Travis Fimmel. The dreariness of each character and their actors really ads to the dark tone of the movie. That's how western movies are supposed to be. Minus the fact that there are maybe too many characters at one point. It can be confusing at that point.

The most excellent part of the movie is the cinematography and scenery. It's incredibly sad Halyna Hutchins never saw the end product of her great talent on the big screen. The film industry lost a great artist with her tragic death (and unpopular to say, but the movie shouldn't be treated as "controversial" because of that). The movie really catches the feeling of traveling in the wild west, and is at least a beauty for the eye alone.

Because the movie relies more on the atmosphere and scenery instead of a bigger story, it is a must watch for western fans, but I doubt if it's a great movie for the rest of the audience. They spent too much time on the movie itself instead of the story. Therefore it's a decent movie, but a missed opportunity to become a 21th century classic in the genre.

I'm going to judge this movie based on its storytelling, acting, directing, and cinematography - not on what I think of Alec Baldwin as a person or the tragic incident onset.

Story: I think it was fine. It might not be the most compelling of story, but it was good enough for me - meaning it was engaging for the most part. There were some things that didn't make sense to me, but it's not a major gripe.

Acting: I liked everyone is this film. Even the kid(s) were ok. Shout out to Travis Fimmel - I'm glad he's getting better roles since the Viking series - Richard Gunn, and Francis Fisher. I felt that their portrayals were outstanding.

Directing: Also good, IMO. There weren't any fillers or wasted shots, I thought. The actions were quite good, as well - I knew where everyone was at all times and what was happening. As were the dialogues and the quieter moments.

Cinematography: Montana is simply beautiful. I wished there had been more wide vista shots, but it's a quibble. Generally, what we had were good and established well the period and locations.

Overall: 7.5.