A man and his dog come to the wrong town in writer/director Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence, but not because there’s ghosts or goblins running amok. The low-budget horror darling is leaving all the scary stuff behind for his western, providing him with brand new genre conventions to play with.
The most obvious twist here is that the valley has some weird humor mixed in with its deadly reputation, which just might slow down the adversaries played by Ethan Hawke and John Travolta.
That sort of delay is precisely what I find so charming about West’s earlier film The Innkeepers, which thrives as much on its lead duo’s bumbling normality than whatever is going bump in the night. This might cause In a Valley of Violence to move slower than some audience members would like, but westerns are all about a slow build, so the off-kilter humor might fill in the time quite nicely.
West will need to deliver on the violence, though, if the film is to live up to its name. His horror roots give him plenty of experience with crescendoing action, so while Valley will require him to stretch his skills, success shouldn’t be out of his reach. Besides, if all else fails, you’ll at least get a Burn Gorman priest to make it all worthwhile.
In a Valley of Violence is directed by Ti West and stars Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, and Karen Gillan. It will be released in the U.S. on October 21st, 2016. Further release dates are not currently known.
Do you think West will successfully pull off a western? Let us know in the comments!
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