Chip Baker’s sticking to what he knows; in that case of Bullets For The Bad, that means westerns. The director and screenwriters, Danny Garcia and Jose Villanueva, bring audiences on a journey alongside a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter. The unnamed Bounty Hunter (Crispian Belfrage), who is addicted to opium, is traveling to the next town for a new job. That town happens to be Las Cruces, which is in the midst of turmoil.
Everyone in the town is on edge because a group of ruthless bandits stormed in on a wedding. They killed several people, including the groom, and took the bride hostage. So when the Bounty Hunter comes to town, Gonzalo (Antonio Mayans), offers the man $10,000 to retrieve his daughter, Guadalupe (Lila Victoire), and find out who is behind such an evil act. The PTSD-suffering killer, due to his time in the Civil War, agrees but demands an advance.
The Bounty Hunter rides out to Sweetwater, as the few hunches Gonzalo has point to its corrupt mayor, Gordon (David Gilliam). The hunter isn’t there long until he finds out for himself just how unscrupulous Gordon and his goons are. Will the Bounty Hunter find Guadalupe alive? For that matter, will he leave Sweetwater in one piece?
“…a group of ruthless bandits stormed in on a wedding. They killed several people, including the groom, and took the bride hostage.”
Bullets For The Bad fits neatly into the spaghetti western of old. Nameless, badass lead? Check. Just enough backstory to make the protagonist engaging while still being an enigma? Check. Extreme close-ups during gunfights? Check. Just being a lot of fun despite several cliches and tropes in play? Check.
It is very evident that Baker is a huge fan of spaghetti westerns. Here, he has turned that reverence into an exciting and cool entry. When the unnamed hero grits his teeth during a poker game at the beginning, viewers instantly buy his lethal abilities. The mayor’s corruption is a little over-the-top, but it still works completely. However, the filmmaker really proves his accolades in the fights. The gunplay is terrific, well-edited, and fun throughout the entire 87-minute runtime.
Belfrage makes Bullets For The Bad cool all by himself. He’s tough, charismatic, and just plain cool. Gilliam is clearly having fun as the over-the-top villain, owning every cliche with scenery-chewing bravado. Victoire is sweet and likable, adding to the danger her character is in.
Bullets For The Bad uses almost every cliche one can think of. But that doesn’t mean it is bad, far from it. Baker directs with confidence and love, creating an exciting spaghetti western that has old-school and modern appeal. The cast understands the assignment and plays into the dusty grit well, especially Belfrage, who exudes badassery. Spaghetti westerns who have been feeling pangs for something new and fun will love this from start to finish.
For more information about Bullets For The Bad, visit its Indican Pictures page.
"…an exciting spaghetti western that has old-school and modern appeal."
