I must admit that the movie's cover/poster definitely seemed interesting, and the fact that there was names like Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane and Richard Dreyfuss on the cast list definitely had me interested. So as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2022 Western "Murder at Yellowstone City" from writer Eric Belgau and director Richard Gray, of course I did so.
However, I must say that the storyline in the movie was a murder mystery, and not really your archetypical Western movie. Sure, I suppose there will be an audience out there for a murder mystery set against a Western backdrop. I just happened not be that particular audience, as I am not fond of slow paced murder mysteries where little happens and the audience is forced to try to figure it out beforehand the director opts to reveal it.
Yeah, the narrative in "Murder at Yellowstone City" was just too slow paced and uneventful for me, so I didn't enjoy this movie. And I managed to sit through a staggering 59 minutes of pure slow paced nothingness, before I gave up on the movie. Running at 127 minutes, I just saw no reason to continue on with this movie.
Not only was the storyline a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me, but the character gallery in the movie was incredibly mundane and rather pointless as well. I honestly didn't care one bit about any of the characters that droned about on the screen aimlessly.
"Murder at Yellowstone City" was a swing and a miss movie, and it is not one I am ever returning to finish watching. Sure, I enjoy a proper Western, but this murder mystery just didn't cut it for me.
My rating of "Murder at Yellowstone City" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.