News of the World

Paul Greengrass's Western Drama News of the World features Tom Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a Civil War veteran who reads newspapers to paying audiences while traveling through Texas. When he finds Johanna, a young German girl raised by the Kiowa people, and consents to take her across dangerous area to her surviving relatives, his life completely changes.

Hanks delivers a nuanced performance as Captain Kidd, showcasing the weight of his character's past through non-verbal expressions rather than dialogue. The film captures Kidd's resilience and reluctance to succumb to cynicism amidst the horrors he has witnessed. Key moments occur during his storytelling segments for isolated communities, emphasizing the film's theme of storytelling as a unifying force. Zengel's portrayal of Johanna adds depth as she navigates trauma and resilience without relying on English, creating a relatable dynamic with Kidd through shared experiences. The film's production design strips away Western romanticism, presenting towns as transient and landscapes as indifferent, while Wolski's cinematography highlights the stark reality of Reconstruction-era Texas. The script avoids simplistic villains, instead presenting characters driven by understandable motivations, with Kidd's journey reflecting a search for redemption amidst complicity in violence.

The film, known for its kinetic intensity similar to the Bourne series, adopts a slower pace that sometimes feels tedious, particularly over its 118-minute runtime. Travel sequences, though visually appealing, become repetitive without raising the stakes. Aunt Anna and Uncle Wilhelm, the primary antagonist’s late arrival and abrupt resolution diminish tension, while previous encounters lack depth in characterization. The narrative is tethered to Kidd's perspective, leaving Johanna's Kiowa background inadequately explored. Despite strong performances, emotional depth could have been enhanced with more subjective sequences. The final act's hurried resolution contrasts with earlier tones, featuring convenient plot resolutions and a late exposition of Kidd's family background that feels forced, showing a slip from earlier narrative confidence in ambiguity.

In the waning Western heritage, News of the World holds a respectable place; it is more reflective than True Grit and less melancholic than Unforgiven. It relies on audiences to discover drama in worn-out faces and tough decisions, and to value patience. Although it isn't Hanks' most revolutionary performance or Greengrass' most formally daring work, it is an increasingly uncommon example of a mid-budget adult drama that assumes intelligence without demanding it.

In the end, the movie is about transmission—how people, languages, and tales make it through perilous historical and geographical areas. It seems more like a compromise with business realities than an artistic failure that it sometimes forgoes depth in favor of forward motion.

Staff:

Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Written by: Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies

Based on: News of the World by Paulette Jiles

Produced by: Gary Goetzman, Gail Mutrux, and Gregory Goodman

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Michael Angelo Covino, Ray McKinnon, Mare Winningham, Elizabeth Marvel, Fred Hechinger, and Bill Camp.

Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski

Edited by: William Goldenberg

Music by: James Newton Howard

Production companies: Universal Pictures, Perfect World Pictures, Playtone, and Pretty Pictures

Distributed by:

• Universal Pictures (United States)

• Netflix (International)

Release date: December 25, 2020

Running time: 118 minutes