Ti West directs Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmigia and John Travolta in the simple western revenge thriller.

Ti West is the unsung hero of modern genre filmmaking. He may not have directed a classic yet, but equally all his films are a long, long way from being duds. His take on a Western is typically cleanly entertaining. It looks the part, grips even when churning over those sweet old familiar cliches and gives the cast just enough room to imbue their stock roles with bonus personality. Everyone from Hawke’s haunted protagonist down to Burn Gorman’s running joke preacher character shine among the efficient dust and gunsmoke. And if you were scared this precision pastiche is too on the nose as a love letter to the cowboy revenge thriller… then just check out the cutest, most well trained dog ever to grace the big screen. In a Valley of Violence is worth being part of your movie collection just for this little scene stealer alone.

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My Top 10 Westerns

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
2. Dances With Wolves (1990)
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

4. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
5. Red River (1948)
6. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1975)
7. The Wild Bunch (1969)
8. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
9. Rio Bravo (1959)
10. The Searchers (1956)