Riddle Ranch: A B-Western That Moves Faster Than It Thinks

Is it worth your time?

If you've got an hour to kill and a soft spot for grainy, black-and-white horse racing drama, Riddle Ranch is a fine way to spend it. It's not going to change your life, but it's got that brisk, no-nonsense energy that a lot of modern stuff lacks. If you need complex psychological arcs or fancy camera work, skip it—this is just a guy getting framed and someone else having to fix it.

The whole thing kicks off with a rigged horse race, which feels about as honest as a three-dollar bill. Don Carlos is clearly the guy you want to punch in the face from his first appearance. Watching him blow all that dirty money at the gambling table is almost satisfying, right up until he pulls that gun on the dealer. Oops.

There is this moment where the dealer just stares at the gun barrel, and you can tell the actor is thinking about his lunch break. It's not the most intense murder scene ever filmed, but it gets the job done. Suddenly, Horton is the one behind bars, and the movie pivots into that classic 'how do I prove I wasn't there' routine.

I couldn't help but think about how much simpler the stakes were back then compared to something like Spartacus. There's no grand political statement here, just a guy trying to get his name cleared before the credits roll. It’s refreshing, honestly.

Odd bits and pieces:

• The horse, Black King, actually has more charisma than half the humans on screen.
• The pacing is so fast you’ll miss the setup if you blink or go grab a drink.
• The dialogue is mostly just people shouting facts at each other to keep the plot moving.
• I’m pretty sure the same two extras walk past the camera in the background at least four different times.

The courtroom scenes—if you can call them that—are hilariously brief. No long-winded speeches about justice here. Just enough evidence to get the plot to the next desert shootout. It’s like the writers were racing against the film reel itself. 🐎

Sometimes, the movie feels a bit like it’s just checking off boxes on a 'How to make a Western' list. It’s not trying to be They Call It Sin or anything heavy like that. It’s just a scrappy, dusty little flick. You can almost smell the sagebrush and the cheap cigarette smoke from the set.

Don't look for logic in the final act. It’s not there. The bad guy makes mistakes that no real criminal would make, just so the hero has an opening. But hey, it works for the sake of the story. I caught myself smiling at how blatant the manipulation was. Sometimes, you just want to see the good guy win, even if the script is hanging on by a thread.