Wild West Days: Dust, horses, and a whole lot of noise

Is it worth your time?

If you like black-and-white westerns where the plot moves at the speed of a galloping horse, you’ll probably have a decent time here. If you need complex characters or something that isn't just people yelling about gold, you should probably skip it. 🤠

Wild West Days feels like one of those movies that was meant to be watched with a bag of popcorn that went stale three days ago. It’s loud, it’s dusty, and it doesn't try to be anything other than a chase movie.

The vibe

There is this moment about halfway through where Kentucky Wade is just riding, and the background looks so obviously like a painting that I almost laughed out loud. Nobody seems to notice, though. They’re all too busy worrying about Red Hatchet.

The gold rush plot feels tacked on, like someone realized the movie was too short and just threw in a fake rumor to get people running in circles. It works, I guess, but it’s definitely not subtle. Not that this movie is trying to be, anyway.

Bits and bobs

• The horses are honestly the best actors in the whole thing.
• The dialogue is mostly just shouting, which is fine, but maybe turn the volume down a bit.
• I swear some of the extras look like they’re just waiting for the lunch bell to ring.

It reminds me a little bit of the energy you get in Henessey of the Mounted, where everything happens at 100 miles per hour even when it shouldn't. You don't really get a chance to breathe, which is either a good thing or a total headache depending on your mood.

Don't look too closely at the continuity. There’s a scene where someone’s hat changes position three times in one conversation. I lost track of who was fighting who for a minute there because everyone’s clothes look basically the same after they roll in the dirt for five minutes.

Is it better than Mare Nostrum? Probably not, but it doesn't have those lofty goals. It’s just a Saturday afternoon filler that does the job. It’s imperfect, a bit messy, and honestly kind of charming in that weird, old-fashioned way.

Just don't ask me what Red Hatchet's actual plan was. I’m still not sure. 🌵