Outlaw Posse, 2024.
Written and Directed by Mario Van Peebles.
Starring Mario Van Peebles, William Mapother, John Carroll Lynch, D.C. Young Fly, Mandela Van Peebles, Amber Reign Smith, Jake Manley, Neal McDonough, Madison Calley, Allen Payne, Swen Temmel, Edward James Olmos, Cedric the Entertainer, Meadow Williams, Brian Presley, Eddie Spears, Scytorya Rhodes, Golden Garnick, Charlie Mulluk, Duncan Vezain, Cheyenne Mikkelsen, Haddie Dailey, Sean Bridgers, Joseph Culp, and Whoopi Goldberg.
SYNOPSIS:
1908. CHIEF (Mario Van Peebles) returns from years of hiding in Mexico to claim stolen reparations gold hidden in the hills of Montana but is chased by ANGEL (William Mapother), whose rationale to the gold leaves a trail of dead bodies.
There is something to appreciate in the few and far between Western offerings of late, telling more culturally diverse stories demonstrating what that period was like more truthfully while also giving those various races and ethnicities dignified representation, but Mario Van Peebles’ Outlaw Posse often feels like a safe and generic plea for racial unity rather than a compelling tale with richly drawn characters.
Telling the story of a legendary fictional outlaw in 1908 (the film operates strangely in that it keeps the real-life Black historical figures of the time it wants to shine a light on in the background while also patting itself on the back during the ending credits as if it gave those characters major moments), writer/director/star Mario Van Peebles is Chief, who has returned to the US after hiding out in Mexico with hopes of reclaiming Confederate gold bars buried somewhere in Montana. The script doesn’t necessarily detail his past and outlaw ways other than leaving him estranged from his son Decker (Mandela Van Peebles), who now has a wife alongside a small piece of land.
That happiness is interrupted by Chief’s arch nemesis Angel (William Mapother), who kidnaps his harp-playing wife and uses her as leverage to force Decker into infiltrating Chief’s small circle of diverse friends and outlaws. Again, there isn’t much explained about the history between Chief and Angel; it’s all surface-level revenge, and considering Angel has a hook in place for one of his hands, it shouldn’t take many guesses where the grudge lies.
When it comes to Chief’s posse themselves, the characters are more comedic and playful, mainly showing sly ways they have kept themselves likable and safe, namely with D.C. Young Fly providing entertainment to the racists as a vaudeville performer. There is also the tough and resourceful Queenie (Amber Reign Smith) as a love interest Chief left behind. As the group finds themselves on the run after a botched robbery, there is some reunion bonding, although much of it feels fluffy. Whatever the story has to hit an emotional beat, the performances feel forced, the music is overdone, and all of it feels like it belongs in another movie entirely.
Much of this is unfortunate because there are some decent concepts here worth exploring more, such as a farming town led by Cedric the Entertainer that operates on an honor system rather than monetary currency, where everyone also happens to be equal regardless of race or color. That place would be refreshing to dive into when it comes to the Western genre.
For the most part, Outlaw Posse goes through the motions without taking full advantage of its unique ensemble quirks on this inevitable road to a climactic showdown filled with betrayal, forgiveness, understanding, and, of course, gunfire. The ensemble is filled with background players that are far more intriguing, swallowed up inside a typical tale of gunslinger rivalry and vengeance. The father-son drama is perhaps the least interesting element here, yet it consumes the most time.
Outlaw Posse is a film that takes itself too seriously and could use more silliness, such as the previously mentioned robbery that sees Black actors impersonating Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in Whiteface. The core message is nice, albeit syrupy, whereas the action isn’t strong enough to compensate for that shortcoming.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
