Long Shadows Film Review: A New Old West

Long Shadows has a distinct visual style, but a slow, disjointed burn which never quite justifies its own Western setting or premise.

Long Shadows is the story of Marcus Dollar (Blaine Maye), a man seeking answers on who killed his parents as a child. On his search, he meets the local madam Vivian Villere (Jacqueline Bisset, Loren & Rose), who introduces him to his true love Dulce Flores (Sarah Cortez). With a new outlook and new lease on life, Marcus learns he can either face the future or become a slave to his past by allowing his desire for revenge to consume him. 

A Western mystery is a unique combination of genres. However, the way Long Shadows presents this genre is not a good match for the message it wants to tell. The story of the film is shown in nonlinear fashion, with flashbacks and anachronic scenes delivering important details. This mode of storytelling works for more psychological thrillers like Memento, but here, it comes across as jarring. The first act of the film is hard to keep track of as it jumps through Marcus’ traumatic childhood. When new characters are introduced, their arcs are told in this fashion as well, making it hard for audiences to know what is happening and in what order the events should be followed. 

The main thing holding the film back is its stilted acting. Most of the characters talk in a dull monotone while delivering little more than exposition. Perhaps this was more a fault of the writing than the performers themselves, but with dialogue this dull and lifeless, it calls attention to how wooden the actors are being here. The sense of urgency or despair is not even present in their voices as they monologue about things which are only half-shown in the movie. If the acting is not good in a film, there is little investment in the story, as there is no reason to get attached to it if the characters are not memorable. More focus needed to be placed on the dialogue and making the script stand out. 

The idea of Marcus holding onto his demons is characterized by other figures in this story. Ned Duxbury (Dominic Monaghan, Lost) is himself a mentally troubled cowboy who uses Vivienne as an escape from his troubles, descending into debauchery and inner turmoil. Dallas Garrett (Dermot Mulroney, Laws of Man), serves as the anti-Marcus, showing a gunslinger who did give into his demons, but who is just as ruthless a man as Marcus. The problem with these characterizations is they attract apathy in the viewer. With such flat characters and no real levity in the film, it becomes difficult to root for any of these characters. So many of them are both flat and amoral, giving nothing to latch onto. Most of them are presented as bitter or aggressive, and Marcus is no better. His arc is not as realized when he stays in the same stew as all of these characters across his journey. 

This is not to say Long Shadows is without merit. The cinematography is spectacular, with so many shots looking like old Western photographs. It looks like the time period in which it is set, capturing the feel of the OId West. The rustic, uneasy atmosphere of the Old West is on full display, feeling like a step back in time. For all the faults of the storytelling, it has a unique premise, and with a few more rewrites, it could have been a respectable thriller. 

Long Shadows offers an interesting idea and a unique spin on the Western genre, but leaves much to be desired in its execution. It is a first draft of a deeper movie which needed a bit of ironing off to be truly great. With better actors and a clearer premise, it would have made for a unique take on the Western genre that showed what it could do differently. As it stands, it is a flat and dull effort which ends up being unmemorable. 

Long Shadows will be released in select US theatres on November 7, 2025.