Toll of the Desert: A dusty, familiar ride

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for black-and-white westerns that were made on a shoestring budget. If you want something complex, look elsewhere. But if you want to watch some horses trot across a desert while dudes in cowboy hats look grumpy, you’ll be fine.

It’s not trying to be The Prairie Pirate, that’s for sure. It’s much quieter and feels a bit more worn out.

The vibe

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in an afternoon. There’s this one scene where a horse just refuses to stand still, and you can see the wrangler in the background trying to hide behind a rock. It’s not polished at all.

Actually, I kind of liked that. It’s messy.

Bits and pieces

• The dialogue is mostly just people grunting at each other.
• The hats! Some of these hats look like they were pulled out of a trash bin.
• The silence in the desert scenes is surprisingly effective, even if it’s probably just an audio glitch.

Watching the lawman search for a killer who turns out to be his dad is such a classic setup. You know exactly how it’s going to end, but the movie doesn't care. It just keeps trudging along like a tired mule.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main actors. There’s one guy in the saloon scene who just drinks the same glass of water for three minutes straight. He never actually swallows. It’s bizarre.

If you've ever seen After a Million, you’ll recognize the same kind of low-stakes energy here. It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to finish the runtime.

It’s imperfect. It’s dusty. It’s definitely not going to be for everyone. But for an hour or so? It passes the time well enough if you just want to zone out and watch some old-fashioned drama. 🤠