Terror on the Prairie Movie Review
Director: Michael Polish
Writer: Josiah Nelson (Screenplay)
Cast
- Gina Carano (Deadpool)
- Nick Searcy (The Shape of Water)
- Donald Cerrone (The Equalizer 2)
- Tyler Fischer
- Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis
Plot: On the Montana plains, a frontier woman must protect herself against a ruthless gang of outlaws hell-bent on revenge.
Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Terror on the Prairie starts on the Montana plains, where Hattie McAllister (Carano) lives with her husband Jeb (Cerrone) and children Will (Becker). They don’t have the best life, with Hattie wanting to return to a previous life.
Hattie finds her homecoming under attack from The Captain (Searcy) and his men, a ruthless gang of outlaws. The Captain is out for revenge and this is his way of finding it.
Verdict on Terror on the Prairie
Characters
Hattie McAllister is a wife and mother living on the plains, she is getting tired of the struggle and wants to move back to her home. She spends most of her days in the remote home, trying to help passers-by. Her latest guests prove to be ones she will clash with, as she looks to defend her home against the outlaws. Outnumbered and outgunned, she will do anything to protect her children.
The Captain is the leader of the outlaws, he shows his ruthless nature in the opening sequence. He is a smooth talker, offering himself as a polite stranger to Hattie. Captain has motivation for coming to Hattie’s land, with his sights set on revenge.
In the supporting cast, we have Jeb Hattie’s husband who is away when the first encounter happens. The rest of the supporting cast is the Captain’s men who will do anything to help him, as they live the life of outlaws. None of them sticks out as much as they could do.
Performances
Gina Carano takes the leading role, as the typical wife from the plain era. This isn’t one of the strongest performances you will see, but it also isn’t one of the worst.
Nick Searcy as the leader of the gang is the best character to watch because he will show how easily he will snap between characters.
The supporting cast doesn’t get enough time to shine, with most of the men in the outlaw gang feeling interchangeable.
Story
The story follows a wife and mother who needs to take a stand against a group of outlaws who are out for revenge. It will see her looking to defend her home and children, as the outlaws become a bigger threat.
This is a story that feels like it escalates quicker than it suggests. With the open house idea turning quickly, without any cause to. There isn’t a single hint of what the outlaws will do with the family and it takes a long time to get to the point about what they are after.
It all plays out how you would expect, with the large number trying different tricks and not getting very far with them. this offers very little new to a world we have been in many times before.
Themes
Terror on the Prairie is an action western set in the open plains of Montana in a post-war era. This creates the remote environment that Hattie finds herself in, one she would like to escape from. The gunfights use the environment to try and create tension. With the one shocking moment the Captain does, not coming back into play later against another victim.
Where to Watch: Signature Entertainment presents Terror on the Prairie on Digital Platforms on 5th September and DVD on 3rd October
Final Thoughts – Terror on the Prairie is a by-the-books western thriller.
