John Dahl's RED ROCK WEST is a solid hidden gem, an entertaining & suspenseful neo-noir thriller - shades of Lynch and early Coens, with some fantastic first act setups. Nic Cage, Hopper, Boyle and the great JT Walsh hitting on all cylinders.

Nic Cage, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle in an excellent thriller set in outlaw land?
Yes please!

blue jean boiled, lost thunder desert nights of paper money and gunshot wounds. the sun bleached last read of the novel before the pulped pages finally give way after the few years its been printed on them.
electric reflexxions and dust wind eyes.
a delicious tumble into the pockets of southern gothic noir.

soundtrack reminded me of chris issaks "heart shaped world" LP but the stuff the studio tapes played with no vocals while he was away outside kissing his rented cadillac.

do you think they talked about working with david lynch in their downtime

"Does that tickle? 'cause it won't if I pull the trigger!"

Holds up really well on a re-watch. Nicolas Cage stars as a former marine turned drifter, whose need to earn easy money briefly overrides his moral compass. Predictably, bad things soon follow.

As with the Coens' neo-noir debut Blood Simple, the story of Red Rock West is a domino chain of bad consequences, yet every decision the characters make is either logically sound or ethically necessary. John Dahl's craftsmanship is unerringly precise in this regard, and frankly atypical among the glut of '90s thrillers. It's a joy to watch something this well made.

The same kudos applies to the performances. Dennis Hopper is at his hammy best, while Lara Flynn Boyle handles the ambiguity of her role surprisingly well. Cage is the highlight though: while largely reined in, he makes for a very likeable and relatable protagonist. The film itself is probably among his best.

Dusty neo noir that finds Nic Cage underplaying against Dennis Hopper (in maximum shitkicker mode) and J.T. Walsh at his slimy, hollow eyed best. Never as successful as a classic like BLOOD SIMPLE, but definitely playing a similar sport. Kinda wish Dahl kept making movies like this and LAST SEDUCTION, as he was pretty great at exploring the pulpier shadows.

Unpopular opinion alert (don't read this if you suffer from heart palpitations), but I'd say Red Rock West blows Blood Simple out of the water. Sorry. It's moodier, the moral is more clear and it's more sardonic; in other words, it out-Blood Simples Blood Simple. Also, just the way Nick Cage dangles a cigarette (or a candy bar) out of his mouth is priceless. This movie is such a grandiose and stylish tribute to the American West that it should have "Apache" by The Shadows playing in the background on a continuous loop.

"Don't piss on the seat, even if they did. It's bad luck."

Two of my favourite crazy actors in one film, Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper, battling it off against each other.

I really couldn't ask for anything else, except for a little bit more unleashed intensity between them.

It's a real fun '90's Southern State neo-noir that keeps you interested with the action, twists and really fantastic acting all round.

Rather than gathering momentum this one just seems to run, very fast, in place, assembling the usual parts without actually doing too much with them. Hard to argue that this isn't doing its thing very well, I just wish it was doing a different thing. Discussed on Episode 17 of The Suspense is Killing Us.

Nic Cage, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle in an excellent thriller set in outlaw land?
Yes please!

"Dennis Hopper going fucking nuts" could and should have been its own extensive subgenre back in the day. Lara Flynn Boyle, same with Linda Fiorentino in the director's follow-up effort, embodies the femme fatale archetype in a modern setting, not just as a ravenous seductress, but also a hyper-determined woman "with a plan". A cheap pulpy paperback brought to life with atmospheric panache by John Dahl and the veteran cast. Probably the gold standard for young independent filmmakers to strive for with a minuscule budget.

I’m surprised this isn’t more beloved bc it’s damn well made and fun. I finished reading Wild at Heart and now I’m in the mood for Nic.

in which dennis hopper passes the crazy torch to nic cage

stress cinema with a noir frame and western landscapes -- a restrained cage does a good job as guy with wrong place wrong time syndrome and he keeps running up against a malignant group of crooks including a demonic dennis hopper, lara flynn boyle as a wounded but untrustworthy femme fatale, and jt walsh as bad and bad sheriff. the film left me kind of empty by the end, it feels a bit nihilistic in its constant twists and unending revelations as to how bad everyone but cage is -- but for the most part it works and it keeps you on edge. dumbass final line tho

It stars Dennis Hopper, JT Walsh, and Nicolas Cage and it’s somehow horrifically boring and unoriginal

This is an intelligent and sleek neo-noir set in the beautiful barren southwestern desert. Nicolas Cage delivers an understated performance with a gorgeous femme fatale (Laura Flynn Boyle) and some nefarious men. Expect twists and turns in a thrilling way. 

Plus the multiple David Lynch starring players  add a lovey Bonus for film lovers.

do you think they talked about working with david lynch in their downtime

Now I'm worried about looking for work and ending up in such a crazy situation XD

“FUCK MEXICO”

Worth a watch just for Nicholas Cage’s one-handed push-ups in the opening scene (but also for a fun, neo-noir 90s western with lots of twists and lots of yelling).

Big 🤠 energy