WFG RATING: A-

Lionsgate and Grindhouse Entertainment present a SkibaVision/Aarimax/5150 Productions film. Written and directed by Brian Skiba. Produced by Randall Batinkoff, Laurie Love, Brian Skiba, Scott Reid, and Jamie R. Thompson. Cinematography by Patrice Cochet. Edited by Eric Chase.

Stars Stephen Dorff, Heather Graham, Jeremy Kent Jackson, Costas Mandylor, Tzi Ma, Randall Batinkoff, Scarlet Stallone, William McNamara, Eric Mabius, Bre Blair, and Nicolas Cage.

A stellar ensemble cast band together against an outlaw and his posse in this Western from the director of Guns of Redemption.

Years ago, Thomas Keller attempted to protect his brother Robert from a member of the Rockefeller family. Thinking he has failed and yet, wanted for killing the Rockefeller, he goes into hiding. Thomas has found refuge in a small town in Kentucky. However, out of fear that he may put the town in danger, he hides out in a reclusive area outside the town. When Val, a young woman, comes to town with her daughter, things are about to change. 

Val is the ex-wife of Robert, Thomas’ brother. She is in town looking for Thomas to give him a warning. Thomas is shocked to find Val and her daughter. However, things are about to get worse when a posse arrives in town and the leader happens to be none other than Thomas’s brother Robert, who survived the attack and has accepted a bounty to bring him back. This leads to a showdown between Thomas with the townsfolk and Robert and his outlaw posse. 

Brian Skiba has definitely made a name for himself in the indie action film. Earlier this year, his film Guns of Redemption was a great Western starring Casper Van Dien as a former outlaw on a quest for well, redemption. Here, this one is about a wanted man who just wants to move on but his past catches up to him. This film ranks slightly above the former as there is an amazing stellar ensemble cast which leads to some great backstories of some of the supporting characters.

With known villain roles in Blade, Leatherface, and even the MMA film Embattled, it is great to see Stephen Dorff take center stage in a good guy role again. Here, he’s Thomas, a wanted man who attempts to move on from his past only to have it catch up to him. This is in part to Heather Graham’s Val, his sister-in-law, who comes to warn him about the trouble that soon comes. And the breakout performance goes to Jeremy Kent Jackson, who churns out a brilliant antagonist in Thomas’s brother Robert, which brings in a sort of Shakespearean vibe in the Wild West. 

Costas Mandylor also churns in a great performance as town leader and preacher Jericho. He really is both sympathetic and empathetic towards the townsfolk, which includes Bella, played by Scarlett Stallone (Sly’s daughter) and Ben, a former gunslinger turned photographer played by the one and only Nicolas Cage. To bring his character to life, Cage and Skiba collaborated to give Cage a certain look sporting cross-shaped glasses, a bowler hat, and a very raspy voice. 

Gunslingers is a fun adventure of a Western that gives off Shakespeare vibes with its tale of brother vs. brother with the cast churning excellent performances. Especially Jeremy Kent Jackson in the role of the antagonistic brother. If you’re a fan of Westerns, this is a definite one for your viewing.

The film will be released in select theaters, On Demand, and Digital April 11.