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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Conquering Horde remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you love old Westerns that feel like they were filmed in someone’s backyard in the 1930s, you’ll probably get a kick out of The Conquering Horde. It’s got that specific grit where the hats are too big and the morality is pretty black and white. If you need snappy dialogue or modern pacing, skip it. You’ll be bored to tears within twenty minutes.
There is this moment where Dan McMasters walks back onto the ranch, and you can just feel the air leave the room. Taisie isn't having it. Her reaction is so cold it’s almost funny. She isn't just annoyed; she looks like she’s trying to memorize the texture of the wall behind him just so she doesn't have to make eye contact.
The plot is basically about railroads. Boring, right? But the movie tries to make it feel like a high-stakes poker game. Marvin Fletcher is the kind of villain who probably twirls his mustache when the camera isn't looking. He’s buying up land for pennies, and honestly, the film makes the business side of things feel more intense than the actual shootouts.
I found myself zoning out during some of the longer conversations about rail routes. Then again, those gaps gave me time to notice how many extras were just standing around in the background, looking like they were waiting for a lunch break that never came. One guy in the back of the town hall scene is clearly just counting his fingers.
Dan pretending to be a bad guy is the oldest trick in the book. It’s handled okay, I guess. He goes to work for the enemy, and Taisie gets madder, and the tension is supposed to be high. It feels a bit like watching a slow-motion car crash where you know exactly which tree they’re going to hit. It reminds me a bit of the slow-burn frustration found in The Natural Law, where everyone is talking around the truth.
There’s a scene near the middle involving a stampede. The editing gets a little jumpy here. One second the cows are everywhere, and the next, it’s just three guys sitting on horses looking worried. It’s not exactly The Third Alarm in terms of kinetic energy, but it has a certain charm.
Look, it isn't a masterpiece. It doesn't try to be. It’s a B-movie western that does what it says on the tin. If you’ve got a rainy afternoon and a craving for guys in spurs doing questionable things for the sake of the Union Pacific railroad, you could do much worse. Just don't expect to be thinking about it when the credits roll. I think I forgot the ending before I even turned off the TV. 🤠
IMDb 5.5
1930
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