PLOT: A wounded outlaw finds unexpected mercy in the care of a rancher’s daughter. The hope of love pulls him toward a different life until the law, and his violent past, close in on his new home. Now he must choose the kind of man he’ll become.
REVIEW: A remake of the classic 1947 film starring John Wayne, Angel and the Badman follows a wounded outlaw named Quirt as he’s on the run. He’s being sought after by his old gang, while fortunate enough to be taken care of by a woman named Penny. Quirt’s presence put’s Penny and her family in danger, and he has to try and make things right. I can’t say that I’ve seen the Wayne film, so this was my first time experiencing this story, and it felt fairly standard for a Western. I’m sure many of my story complaints could apply to that film as well, as it’s been nearly 80 years since its release, and filmmaking has changed.
The accents can be a bit all over the place, with each new character having varying degrees of success. It’s always more noticeable when someone is acting across from Tommy Lee Jones, as he always feels so natural. As expected, Jones is the best part of the film, as his presence always brings such realism. Few things go together better than Jones and the Western setting. Levi is decent enough at times, even if his “sleep tantrums,” where he shouts out random words while he’s recovering from his wound, can be a bit unintentionally funny. But his drawl sounds very unnatural and can be a bit distracting.
Angel Studios is starting to be known for its movies that are all about seeing the good in people and teaching moral lessons. The good guys win, the bad guys lose, and the world is a better place. There’s not much room for anything morally gray. Because of this, there’s a manufactured feeling to almost every scene as there’s not much concern for interesting story beats.
The filmmakers do a good job of establishing Neil McDonough’s Laredo as someone not to be trifled with, as he kills everyone and burns down a brothel just because they find out his real name. But outside of his introduction, his decision-making leaves a lot to be desired. There’s also the throughline of Laredo being at death’s door. Only, he looks perfectly fine, other than when they do an actual reveal to show his tuberculosis. This wouldn’t be an issue except that literally everyone he comes across tells him how much he looks like death, while we, as the audience, just see a perfectly normal cowboy.
The filmmakers never quite know how to present the western landscape in a visually appealing way. It’s mostly just there and doesn’t come to life in the way that it does in other films. The color palette is often washed out and boring. I’ve definitely seen some Western-themed TV episodes that put these visuals to shame. It doesn’t help that the fights feel cheap, overly staged, and are over way too fast.
I also have to acknowledge the very gross “Pay it Forward” tactic that Angel Studios employs, which asks people to pay for tickets for others. For this film, Neil McDonough pops out of the screen, demanding the audience scan the QR code. It’s just a way to inflate the box office and is a practice that desperately needs to go away. The fact that they’re even including the actors to essentially beg for money really ends things on a sour note.
At this point, I think most people know what they’re in for when it comes to Angel Studios, and there’s clearly a market for it. But outside of the church crowd, or someone who just really loves Westerns, there’s just not much here to latch onto. The characters are very bland, and the story doesn’t have enough legs in the modern era. Angel and the Badman probably should have just stayed in the past.
Angel and the Badman is playing in theaters on October 9th, 2026.
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