Red Rock West

1993
R
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

26K

YOUR RATING

Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, and Lara Flynn Boyle in Red Rock West (1993)

Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar

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Dark Comedy Crime Drama Thriller

Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue.Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue.Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

26K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 nominations total

Trivia
Originally, director John Dahl wanted Dennis Hopper to play Wayne Brown, but he insisted on playing Lyle from Dallas. Hopper eventually convinced the producers who were thrilled with the result.

Goofs
When Lyle and Michael are discussing both being in the Marine Corps; Lyle refers to Michael as "soldier" and at the end of the same conversation Micheal calls Lyle, "soldier." It is unlikely that either marine would refer to another Marine as "soldier," but would call him or her "marine", "jarhead", "leatherneck" "devil dog" or even "gyrene" instead.

Quotes
Lyle: [Hitman Lyle from Dallas finds Michael laying down in the middle of the road] What the fuck are you doing?
Michael Williams: My car broke down.
Lyle: Where? I don't see a car.
Michael Williams: It's just over that ridge.
Lyle: 'Just over that ridge', huh? Well you're one lucky son of a bitch, aren't you? If I hadn't had my brakes just done, I'd be picking your brains out of my radiator. Fuck.
Michael Williams: Look, I hate to ask you this, but do you think you could give me a ride?
Lyle: I don't know. You're not dangerous, are you?

Crazy credits
Special Thanks: Mom & Dad

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Jimmy Hollywood/Thumbelina/The House of the Spirits/Major League II/D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)

Soundtracks
Alone in San Antone
Written by Buddy Cannon & Luke Reed
Performed by Jeff Chance
Courtesy of Mercury Records Nashville

User reviews114

Review

Featured review

7/10

Cage at his best, and a totally fun and funny modern western filled with archetypes

Red Rock West (1993)

Nicolas Cage gets embroiled in a deadly crime without at first knowing it, and the dominos lead to increasing peril, adventure and misadventure in the wild forlorn American West of the 1990s. Red Rock West is often brutal and sometimes hilarious, and Cage pulls off the mixture with his usual sardonic wit and wary ease.

Is the plot over the top? Yes. Is Dennis Hopper perfect as a crazed, almost likable killer? Yes. Does Cage stand a chance? Well, you have to watch and see. It never lets up, and it took me by surprise the first time I saw it. On second viewing yesterday, I was surprised at how well it held up, how well constructed it was, and how macabre and funny it was at the same time.

Director Ron Dahl (who also helped write) is known more for his TV work, but with Rounders and this film he shows a deft hand with sensational plots. It's saved by its humor by the way, and by the caricatures. The bar is sleazy, the cops questionable. And don't miss a really inspired cameo by Dwight Yoakam as a truck driver.