I don’t usually enjoy western films but this one could’ve changed my mind on that.

Death Alley tells us the true story of the Dalton gang who were an outlaw gang in the 19th century who terrorised Kansas and Oklahoma. In this particular film we see them set out to rob two banks in the same town during the day, and the townsman or of course are not happy about that and take matters into their own hands…

As I said I’m not a huge fan of western films but the reason I wanted to watch this one was because it is a true story. During my education the Cowboy era of America was not something that we learnt about much so it definitely opened my eyes to a different era of history.

This film hooked me from the first second. It had a great monologue over it that helped to explain some of what was going on, it jumped backwards in time so you had the interest of wanting to find out who these characters that you had already met where and what part they played in the story, plus the cinematography, music, and style of the film was also very enjoyable.

The characters were very interesting to watch. When it came to them vs the townsfolk it was quite hard to sit through because, while you know that these men are doing bad things and causing terror to these towns, you are watching it from their perspective so you are on their side. Seeing them battle it out you wonder whose side you should really be on and what could be the best outcome for the situation.

I definitely recommend this movie even if you aren’t into westerns. The fact that it was a true story was what sold it for me and I’m very glad I watched it because I learnt something new that I didn’t know before. This movie is not one that I would have reached for usually but I am very glad I did because it’s a masterpiece of western storytelling and it kept me hooked from start to finish.

Death Alley will be available on digital and on demand from Tuesday the 3rd of August, and on DVD from the 5th of October this year too, so I definitely recommend you give it a go.

What is your favourite western movie?

Until next time.

Published by shonaharding

Media graduate with a passion for reviewing film and TV. View all posts by shonaharding