The Irish Oscar nominee leads a big ensemble cast.
Netflix has just added American Outlaws, the 2001 Western movie that stars Irish acting legend Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin).
Marking one of Farrell’s first lead roles in a film and one of his first US projects, American Outlaws sees the actor play the real-life, notorious Old West outlaw Jesse James.
“When a Midwest town learns that a corrupt railroad baron (Harris Yulin, Ozark) has captured the deeds to their homesteads without their knowledge, a group of young ranchers join forces to take back what is rightfully theirs,” the plot synopsis reads.
“They will become the object of the biggest manhunt in the history of the Old West and, as their fame grows, so will the legend of their leader, a young outlaw by the name of Jesse James (Farrell).”
The Irish future Oscar nominee leads a large ensemble cast in the movie that also includes Oscar-winner Kathy Bates (Misery) and former James Bond star Timothy Dalton.
Also appearing in the film are Ali Larter (Final Destination), Gabriel Macht (Suits), Ronny Cox (RoboCop) and Terry O’Quinn (Lost).
American Outlaws was a flop at the box office and with critics, with many reviewers slating it for its historical inaccuracies and anachronisms, as well as for sanitising the story of Jesse James.
Many compared it unfavourably to the Young Guns franchise, which also featured a cast of young rising stars.
That said, some critics did praise American Outlaws as a fun, guilty pleasure. You can read a sample of some of these write-ups here:
Detroit News: “Brings a lovely sense of discovery to its account of the old stories and legends.”
Film Written Magazine: “Generally goofy fun – whether that kind of ‘fun’ was intentional or not.”
Los Angeles Times: “A handsome and skilful retelling of a legend that imaginatively draws on conventions of both the western and the gangster movie to create an energetic yet thoughtful contemporary action-adventure.”
Murphy’s Movie Reviews: “Instead of treating it as a serious work of art, one should look at American Outlaws as an old-fashioned B Western, and one won’t be disappointed.”
Reel.com: “Entertains the way a summer matinee movie should, with an agreeable blend of romance, action, humour, and a likeable cast.”
Curious about checking out the star-studded forgotten Western? If so, American Outlaws is now streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK.
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