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Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
All Critics (15) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (11)
This oater with shades of Weird West comic books has a plot too easy to foretell and a thrill level that dips with the rising of the body count.
A revenge-fantasy Western that wants to luxuriate in its B-movie roots but suffers from dull direction and an even duller central performance.
It bludgeons with intent, even dabbling in some "Deadwood"-level verbal shock-and-awe; without wit or intelligence, it's merely baroque affectation playacting at depth.
As violent act begets silly exchange begets another violent act, "Sweetwater" squanders its noteworthy resources ...
There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes than with a mediocre Western.
A handsomely designed, occasionally funny but ultimately empty female vengeance yarn.
It's not particularly congruent, but thanks to two terrific performances and director Logan Miller's determination to make his own kind of music, Sweetwater packs one hell of a punch.
The west has never been less gritty, less pulpy than it is here, with the locale fading into the background when it should be a character in its own right.
Sarah's would-be parade of vengeance makes for a bloody but bland reckoning.
An excellent cast and the film's authentic period look help transport us back to 1880s New Mexico while watching a very angry woman out for revenge.
There isn't much insight into religious fanaticism or gender politics from the era, but the showdowns pack a punch.
The Millers work known elements with flair, and their commitment to character is invigorating, making the eventual slide into bloodlust ripple with personality.
ed harris is both hit and miss in the film but its January Jones who really shines in a strong female role. The first half is slow and full of characters just showing up at the right locations. not a bad film for an afternoon.
Super Reviewer
Starting out like a somewhat regular Western, albeit with a really hateful and diabolic bad guy, the film goes more into pulp territory with each minute. While Ed Harris' shenanigans are fun to watch, it is January Jones who's the problem. The more her character enters the center stage, the less interesting things get. Fact is, she can't act her way out of a kartonage box. The movie gets bloodier with each minute but also less exciting because it takes a little more than someone walking around shooting people in revenge to keep the audience interested. By the time of the showdown you just don't care anymore. Wasted chances all around.
A Western at heart, "Sweetwater" loses its footing on more than one occasion, arguing whether to be a serious, full-on wild west revival or an eccentric stomping ground for its colorful cast of characters. Most of the characters in the film are cartoonish in nature, especially the villain, Prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs) who preaches to his congregation one second, kills innocent men the next, and sleeps with his many wives and even the lead at one point, playing out like the villain in a graphic novel, which is what "Sweetwater" should have been. The lead, Mad Men's January Jones tussles with his dialogue, often reacting as though a spotlight was suddenly shone on her without being prepared. However, she looks fantastic and wears the highlight purple dress with brilliance. But her gun wielding, smart talking character never quite fits her that well. The only performer that really wears his role the best is Ed Harris, whose crazy Sheriff Jackson is just crazy enough to work, but at the cost of not fitting the film, remaining an outsider that is such a good actor, he hardly has to try. Westerns can be difficult eggs to crack, but at least on surface appeal, "Sweetwater" captures the dusty essence of the genre, also bringing to light characters not often seen in serious Westerns. Had the cast been more befitting and had January Jones not dropped the ball, this could have been an excellent take on the genre. Instead, its the equivalent of a pretty blonde in a purple dress.
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