Outlaw Justice: A dusty, low-budget ride

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school westerns where the horses do half the acting, you'll probably get a kick out of Outlaw Justice. It isn't trying to change the world. It just wants to get from the opening credits to the final shootout without any fuss.

If you need high-definition polish or a plot that makes sense in every single scene, you should probably skip this one. It's built for people who like the smell of old celluloid and don't mind a few plot holes the size of a canyon.

Jack Hoxie is center stage here as Panamint Jack. He’s got that classic, squinty-eyed stare that tells you he’s been through some stuff. He hides out at the Taggart place, and honestly, the ranch scenes have this strange, quiet energy to them. It feels like the actors are just trying to stand in the shade, but there's a certain charm to it.

Notes from the trail:

• There’s a horse named Dynamite in the credits. I’m pretty sure he’s the best performer on screen.
• The villain, Faro Black, wears his corruption like a cheap suit. You know he’s bad because he barely smiles.
• The pacing is frantic. Sometimes it feels like they realized they only had an hour of film stock left and just started rushing the horses.

I found myself thinking about The Virginian while watching this, mainly because of how differently they handle the open range. Where that film feels expansive and deliberate, this one is just go, go, go. It’s like a chase scene that occasionally pauses for dialogue.

There is this one moment where Jack is trying to find the missing Sheriff, and the editing gets a little wonky. It jumps from a wide shot of the landscape to a tight close-up so fast I actually blinked. It’s not smooth, but it’s real. It feels like somebody edited it on a kitchen table.

Don't expect the moral complexity of A Chapter in Her Life here. Everything is black and white, good guys and bad guys, and debts to be paid. It’s a very simple, very dusty morality play.

Anyway, if you like watching men in hats argue about money while standing next to very tired-looking horses, this is for you. It’s not great art. It’s just a movie that exists, and that’s fine by me sometimes. 🤠