The Warrant

Redemption or reckoning after the Civil War with Neal McDonough and Casper Van Dien

In Missouri and eastern Kansas, 1869, a sheriff (McDonough) teams-up up with his son, a Federal marshal (Steven R. McQueen), and his AmerIndian associate from the war (Gregory Cruz) to track down a bitter Union comrade who could reignite the war if not stopped (Van Dien). Annabeth Gish is on hand as his wife.

"The Warrant" (2020) is part Western and part Civil War flick. While the main story takes place in 1869, there are myriad sequences from 1864. There’s a smidgen of humor amidst the gritty drama and tense action.

A couple of lackluster Trace Adkins Westerns ruined my impression of modern Westerns. I'm talking about "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story" and "The Virginian" ("Traded" and "Hickok" were much better, but nothing exceptional). Thankfully, this one and "Old Henry" from the following year changed my mind. They were made on relatively low budgets, but quality writing and acting win the day.

A sequel came out in 2023 called “The Warrant: Breaker’s Law,” which switches the setting to the far west.

The movie runs 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot in toccoa and Alto, Georgia, which are a 95-minutes drive northeast of Atlanta. The classic "The Long Riders" was also shot (primarily) in Georgia, which technically makes both films Easterns.

GRADE: B