The Weight

Fanny isn’t the only one who needs to take a load off in The Weight, which teems with desperation and socioeconomic despair.

It’s hardly golden, yet this evocative crime thriller is bleak yet powerful as a testosterone-fueled redemption saga set during the Great Depression that maintains a glimmer of hope amid its grim circumstances.

The story follows Samuel (Ethan Hawke), a laborer and single parent to his young daughter, Penny (Avy Berry). The pair share a passion for fast cars. “I ain’t never been caught, and I ain’t never gonna be caught,” he exclaims during a windswept joyride.

Such happy times are fleeting, though, as Samuel tries to work odd jobs to make ends meet. Eviction soon leaves them on the street, and the two of them are separated when he’s arrested.

He’s assigned to a hard-labor camp under Clancy (Russell Crowe), a demanding warden with questionable motives. After appreciating Samuel’s ingenuity and mechanic skills, Clancy offers him an early release— which Samuel needs before Penny is transferred into foster care.

The catch? Samuel and a ragtag batch of inmates must transfer a stash of gold from a mine set for closure to a secret location.

The arduous job navigating treacherous terrain requires considerable physical stamina, mental fortitude, and an even temper, but also compromises his attempt to preserve his integrity. Still, there’s no alternative.

Forced to coexist with such unscrupulous rogues, the cargo becomes the least of Samuel’s concerns. With outlaws on their heels, it’s only a matter of time before greed, corruption betrayal take over among men with violent pasts. Meanwhile, the pervasive tension contrasts with the peaceful serenity of the surroundings.

The film is anchored by Hawke’s richly textured performance as a man intensely driven by his goals, whose reckless impulses obscure his centered moral compass and deep commitment as a father.

Rookie director Padraic McKinley, who has collaborated with both Hawke and Crowe as a producer on past projects, stages a few chilling set pieces, most notably a dicey river crossing over a dilapidated suspension bridge.

Deliberately paced and mildly contrived, the screenplay leans into its Western influences as it examines masculinity and morality against a daunting true-life historical backdrop.

Even as the periphery characters are mostly defined by cliches and stereotypes, The Weight is carried by Samuel’s focused and determined sense of purpose.

Rated R, 115 minutes.