‘Killing Faith’ Review – No Rest For The Wicked West

Leave it to Guy Pearce to get all grimy and dirty for a role. He’s an actor unlike any other, unafraid to dash into the unknown, ready to venture ahead with whatever role he’s playing, bold and adventurous to seek the darkest role in the darkest tale about humanity and survival. This time, he’s not alone. He is joined by DeWanda Wise, who delivers a stunning performance alongside him in a dark tale where the harsh 1849 Arizona desert shows no mercy to the righteous or the wicked.

Killing Faith is the perfect apocalyptic anti-Western, a free Black woman, Sarah (Wise), a doctor addicted to ether (Pearce), and a child possessed by supernatural forces embark on a journey across the scorching desert to meet a supposed healer, Father Ross (Bill Pullman), who can cure her daughter from her supernatural abilities, which the townsfolk see as the mark of the Devil. Is it though? Director Ned Crowley doesn’t opt for easy answers nor deliver them.

For those who recall the atmosphere of Bone Tomahawk, a bleak sense of despair and the relentless brutality of a society driven solely by survival, this is a Western that neither glorifies heroes nor villainizes natives. It’s a dense landscape where every man is out for himself, and the vast, expansive land is harsh and unforgiving. One major issue is misguided marketing that labels Crowley’s feature as a horror thriller, when the only “horror” is the soul-crushing emptiness of the endless, lifeless plains and the careless cruelty of its inhabitants.

Pearce crushes his performance as usual; he is the perfect blend of vulnerability and cynicism. He plays it best when he presents a version of broken masculinity. His Dr. Bender is a sad, broken man, burdened by his inner demons and his inability to adapt to a decaying world. It’s only when he accepts Sarah’s invitation to join her on her quest to cure her daughter from the mark of the Devil that he owns up to his traumas and the pains of his past stop catching up with him. This is nothing new to Pearce, the king of neo-Westerns, which take a bleaker, more grounded look at the Wild West. No heroes, no ethnic villains, and no damsels. Just people fighting for their lives, and losing parts of their souls -sometimes their bodies- along the way. Whether in Ravenous, The Proposition, or The Rover, Pearce has gone deep inside his skin, abrasively and bloodily accepting one masculine defeat after the other in a merciless wilderness, and a journey as a loner through the sands of uninhibited terrain. 

Wise is just as compelling, carrying the weight of a darker side of motherhood, protective but also afraid of a child who doesn’t conform to what’s commonly considered “childhood behavior”. DeWise is perfect as the conflict-torn Sarah, who fears her child’s capability for reckless brutality. Pullman is also stunning as the off-putting preacher Ross, his creepiness stems from his ultimate reliance on the brainwashing of the masses, his power and knowledge of how far he can exert it. It’s a masterclass in acting, and Pullman delivers one of his more sinister roles, and the scenes between him and Pearce are delicious to witness.

Killing Faith is not a supernatural thriller or a horror movie. It’s a sad anthem on the decay of humanity and the nonchalance of survival. An enjoyable movie from start to finish, ruined by reckless marketing that doesn’t know how to draw the right audience to the movie theater. 

Killing Faith is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Shout! Studios.