Director Richard Gray brings us the 2024 western The Unholy Trinity. It is a bit long winded for a western. There is a slew of exposition throughout the film. As Tuco says in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, “If you’re going to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” Screenwriter Lee Zachariah obviously did not get the memo. I’m not saying that this detracts too terribly from the story. The very fact that this is a western, a genre that I adore, makes it worth the time spent watching it. There is just a lot of talking going on here. Just saying.
The Unholy Trinity Story
Young Henry Broadway heads to the town of Trinity to avenge his father’s death at the hands of the local sheriff. He learns of a buried pile of gold. Henry is caught between a mob of local toughs, the current sheriff and St Christopher.
The Main Cast
Pierce Brosnan is Sheriff Gabriel Dove.
Samuel L. Jackson is St Christopher.
Brandon Lessard is Henry Broadway.
Gianni Capaldi is Gideon.
Q’orianka Kilcher is Running Cub.
David Arquette is Father Jacob.
Katrina Bowden is Julia.
Veronica Ferres is Sarah Dove.
*Special shout out to Isabella Ruby as Nora and young Eadie Gray as Mabel. These two really stand out here. Well done.*
Let’s Talk The Unholy Trinity
I love westerns. Sadly, despite some pretty impressive gun battles, The Unholy Trinity falls a tad short of the mark. There is far too much dialogue. Great westerns, heck even good westerns, minimize the talking. Take Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch.
In The Wild Bunch a group of aging bank robbers have to face the fact that the west is changing. They plan one last job, stealing guns for a General in Mexico. One of their number is taken for stealing stolen guns. The men decide to break a lifetime habit and save their compadre. The dialogue is minimal. Pike, the leader, goes to the Gorch brothers. “Let’s Go.” Lyle Gorch responds, “Why not.” Four words sets up the standoff of all standoffs. The Bunch against an army.
Four. Words.
The Unholy Trinity is lousy with dialogue. This slows the film down. The shootouts are very impressive, but it seems to take forever for the movie to get there. The film’s runtime is 95 minutes. It feels much longer, what with all the talking and exposition.
Some Things Work Just Fine
The costumes look pretty darn good. Holsters for the short guns look authentic, no modern looking quick draw rigs here. There are no Hollywood gun fights in this one either. Similar to Appaloosa (2008) when a fight takes place, the weapons are already drawn and ready to go.
DP Thomas Scott Stanton, along with Editor Lee Smith make the most of the Montana location. The film looks like the old west. *The town was built on Yellowstone Ranch.*
The actors all fill their boots, or moccasins with heartfelt sincerity. This goes a long way toward saving this overly talkative oater. The stunts, aka gunfights, are pretty doggone good. This is all down to Kevin Gomez; fight coordinator and Diz Sharpe stunt coordinator. Kudos to Q’orianka Kilcher as Running Cub. The actress brings a solid truth to her role as the avenging wild card.
The Verdict
The Unholy Trinity earns a talky 3.5 stars. While the characters all have far too much to say for themselves, it is nice to see a new western that does not entirely miss the mark. I would have been upset to have paid money to see this at the cinema. Sure the film has a sterling cast but overall the film falls short.
If you have not dumped your Disney + or Hulu after the Jimmy Kimmel debacle, head on over and give this one a go. See if you agree with my summation. *The film can also be rented via YouTube or Prime.*
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