Red Rock West

A man looking for work walks into a small town bar, is taken for someone else, and is offered money for a killing. He takes the money and tries to leave. The film ties every attempt at escape back to the same town; the narrative builds a trap repetitive enough to be funny and turns the character's honesty into the actual problem. When the real hired man arrives the balance goes entirely. John Dahl directed, with Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper and J.T. Walsh. It came out on video first and only reached cinemas after a repertory screening. Who it's for: those who like noir shapes and nineties independent thrillers. Who it's not for: viewers wanting realism; the coincidences pile up deliberately.