“High Plains Drifter” is another violent, brutal yet thoroughly captivating Western from Clint Eastwood (“Unforgiven”, “Dirty Harry”). If you’ve seen “Hang ‘Em High”, “A Fistful Of Dollars”, “Pale Rider” or any of his other cowboy movies then you’ll know what to expect.

“High Plains Drifter” could very easily be the next film in the “Dollars” series as we see yet another unknown gunslinger, played by Eastwood, ride into town. He gets recruited by the town to help them battle three outlaws, who have just been released and out for revenge on the town that put them away. His plan involves painting the whole place red and calling it ‘Hell’, it’s poetic and it’s thrilling.

Clint Eastwood casual chucks a stick of dynamite at an angry mob in this film, if that doesn’t show you how much class he has then nothing will. He delivers his usual tough guy performance and you never feel more at home then with him in charge both on and off the screen. The villains are okay but nothing special; you may recognise Geoffrey Lewis as one of the outlaws as he’s been in many of Eastwood’s other films (“Bronco Billy”, “Every Which Way But Loose” etc…). The townsfolk are not incredible but they don’t really need to be.

“High Plains Drifter” features a disturbing scene with one man being repeatedly whipped by the three outlaws but I imagine that’s how the Wild West was. Other stars like to glamorise the times of cowboys but Eastwood doesn’t pretty anything up. Now if you haven’t like Eastwood’s other Westerns that don’t be surprised if this one isn’t your cup of tea either but if you’re like most and enjoy his gritty takes on the genre then this is another fine movie you simply have to see. Now where’s the stranger riding off to next?