Never Grow Old

About This Movie

Never Grow Old is a neat blend of Western and character study that kind of sneaks up on you. Ivan Kavanagh really manages to create this brooding atmosphere, where the weight of each death feels tangible. The pacing is deliberate, drawing out the tension as the stakes rise for the Irish undertaker, played by Emile Hirsch. You see his moral dilemma unfold, and it’s pretty engaging how his initial greed gives way to this real sense of dread for his family. The practical effects are gritty but fitting, enhancing that raw sense of violence typical of the genre. John Cusack’s performance adds this layer of menace that lingers long after each scene. It has this strange, haunting quality that sets it apart from other Westerns.

Brooding atmosphereEmile Hirsch's moral struggleStrong practical effects