Red Rock West (1993)
September 22, 2022 6:37 AM - Subscribe

Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter (Nicholas Cage) is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue. Red Rock West is a hidden neo-noir gem with some delightful cracks in its surface -- and an opportunity to see Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dennis Hopper, and J.T. Walsh go toe-to-toe in all their early '90s glory.

Also has a memorable appearance by Dwight Yoakam.

Directed by John Dahl (The Last Seduction) from a script he co-wrote with Rick Dahl.

97% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on Starz. Not available for digital rental anywhere, near as I can tell. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is absolutely one of the most enjoyable neo-noirs of all time. The twists are both clever and laugh-out-loud brutal. Cage's character goes through some shit, man.

John Dahl had a real run as the unheralded genius of American neo-noir and this might be tied with The Last Seduction as his best work.

If you don't have Starz, get a free trial and watch. If you have already used up your free trial, add it to your Amazon Prime on a free trial basis--the trial periods are separate. If you've already done that, buy Starz for one month because it's only $5.99 and this is easily worth paying that to see, even if you don't use the channel again during your one month.

Make some popcorn, get some drinks, and sit down for a great time.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:41 AM on September 22, 2022


Thanks for the rec! Always looking to see more Cage. Say what you will about the man, but he puts in the effort.
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:11 AM on September 22, 2022


I have great memories of this one, but it has easily been 25 years since I last saw it. I may have to go for that Starz free trial.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:23 PM on September 22, 2022


It’s a really great flick. Great writing, great tone and pacing, great acting. I remember when it came out, Siskel & Ebert championed it HARD. They loved this movie. Here’s that episode. Red Rock West is the first movie they talk about.
posted by wabbittwax at 3:22 PM on September 22, 2022 [1 favorite]


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