Sundance 2026: Ethan Hawke vs Nature in ‘The Weight’ Very good Thriller
by Alex Billington February 3, 2026
That is the way you do it! That is the way you make a rip-roaring survival thriller in fashionable occasions! That is how you retain fashionable audiences engaged and on the sting of their seat excited for what is going on to return subsequent! That is simply the sort of film I like experiencing with out understanding a single factor about it beforehand. The Weight is likely one of the greatest movies from the 2026 Sundance Movie Pageant – an immediate favourite that’ll most likely stay someplace on my Prime 20 record by the top of the 12 months. It is the primary function directed by Padraic McKinley, who has been working for years as an editor on numerous movies & TV sequence, and in addition directing for TV together with episodes of “Kingdom”. After making this, I am positive the doorways will probably be broad open for him to make no matter he desires subsequent. He has confirmed himself to be fairly a reliable director, one would possibly even say he is acquired the chops for critical motion & depth and will deal with an enormous motion film. Till then, The Weight is a wonderfully entertaining, superior thriller set within the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. And it deserves to be talked about, watched & rewatched, and heralded as a giant breakout hit past the pageant. It rocks and I liked it.
The Weight has a screenplay written by Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman, and Shelby Gaines; from a narrative by Leo Scherman. It is directed by Padraic McKinley as his function directorial debut, and McKinley additionally co-edited the movie (with Matthew Woolley). Whereas it is not explicitly credited this fashion, The Weight is actually a remake of William Friedkin’s traditional Sorcerer (which is itself based mostly on the French novel “The Wages of Concern”). This movie does some various things and would not begin or finish the identical means, however nonetheless it is an apparent homage and tribute to Sorcerer, that includes its personal iconic bridge scene with 4 guys transporting harmful items throughout hostile terrain. Ethan Hawke stars as Samuel Murphy, a handyman dad making an attempt to maintain his younger daughter in the course of the brutal Nice Despair within the early Thirties. When he is caught by coppers he results in a jail camp working onerous labor. A chance arises for an early launch – so long as he (and his 3 comrades) can transport a hefty quantity of gold of their backpacks throughout tough terrain to a different pickup level earlier than anything occurs to it. Seems that this Murphy has some particular expertise and may deal with just about something. Which is one among many the explanation why it is so thrilling to observe it play out.
Watching this film within the cinema at Sundance was essentially the most edge-of-your-seat intense expertise I’ve had since watching Sirat in Cannes final 12 months (additionally completely superior). My preliminary response immediate comparability is to name it Sisu meets Sorcerer by means of the Pacific Northwest. With possibly just a few minor flaws, from begin to end this rocked my socks off. Ethan Hawke completely guidelines on this as our most important man Murphy. Perhaps even one among my favourite Hawke performances ever? The cinematography & rating are dynamite! I may go on and on raving about the way it’s all composed and crafted completely – sort of like final 12 months’s Sundance PNW movie Practice Goals. (Although they appear nothing alike.) It is gritty & dynamic & thrilling, very tactile in each sense, with some intelligent fashionable social commentary labored into the script past all of the wilderness survival. One helluva good solid. Unbelievable forest set items – a lot of scenes that may get your hear tracing. Attractive gradual fades galore. Completely composed photographs continuous (from Italian DP Matteo Cocco). And the rating, THE SCORE, I used to be levitating listening to it roar up in sure scenes. Play it LOUD! Guitar vibes along with intense melodies. Composers Latham Gaines & Shelby Gaines deserves acclaim for his or her work on this.
This can ruffle some feathers and rattle loads of cages – however I’ve to admin I believe this Sorcerer remake is healthier than the unique Sorcerer. It really works higher for me and feels way more rewatchable and vivid. However I am not the largest fan of Friedkin’s Sorcerer to start with, so I am not bothered making this declare, and since they’re so comparable it is unimaginable to not examine. The Weight is every little thing one may need inside a gripping survival thriller – even with well-defined characters & robust efficiency. It is one among these motion pictures I may actually stroll proper again into the theater and watch once more immediately and nonetheless take pleasure in as a lot as this primary time round. On that be aware, I can not wait to search out out after I’m going again simply to expertise the joys over again.
Alex’s Sundance 2026 Score: 9.5 out of 10Observe Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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