Gene and Trigger, a duo for the ages, made their way from outlaws to film stars but like many famous duos, they’ve had their issues which they must now overcome to fight an old foe.
Written by Coty Greenwood and Jordan Mears with the latter also directing, New West is a fun, and funny, take on old school western cinematic tropes, taking well-known story elements and twisting them just enough to make them feel new and entertaining. Here the story plays with friendships, old relationships, memories, regrets, hopes even. There is a lot in this short and it all makes no sense and complete sense, in the best of ways. It’s hard to describe without ruining it, but once one watches it, the charm will take them over and bringing them along for the western adventure of a lifetime. Or maybe two. The writing here is solid and witty and the direction brings it to the screen in just the right way.
The cast here is willing and able, giving their best along with all the insanity that is thrown at them. There is a lot here and having one of the leads being a talking-horse-headed human is definitely something viewers aren’t treated to every day. And neither are his costars who all do very well pretending this is all an everyday occurrence for them. Trigger, the horse-headed human, is played by Coty Greenwood who keeps it so serious and so human-like that his performance makes the film. Really, this is an odd one and the seriousness kept throughout while playing the part is fantastic. Playing his partner Gene Rogers is D. Matt Jordan who is also fantastic in his part, giving his best and making the most of every emotional moment. Of course, the comedic timing of these two is also on point or the film would not work. As for something else surprising here, the narration is on point with work from Mike Brabender who hits that perfect tone for the story and gives the viewer a sort-of classic sound to it all.
The look of the film here is great (as can be seen on the images) with a mix of old western, modern take on the genre, and what feels a bit like a kids’ show. The cinematography and editing by Jordan Mears take the vision to the viewer and makes it feel like its own world that all works together just right. The music by Coty Greenwood adds to this in the right way, bringing it all together in an audio way that adds to the film and makes it complete.
New West is one of those short films that show the public why short films are worth checking out. It’s fun, it’s funny, it makes the most of its shorter runtime, and it also makes you want just a little bit more. From the writing to the direction to the acting, the music, the cinematography, everything comes together just right and makes this one of those short films you want to see again and again.
