Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 1167
RT slug: old_henry
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/old_henry
Release year: 2021
Runtime: 99 mins
Wide release date: —
Limited release date: 2021-10-01
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2021-10-08
Tomatometer final: 94%
Audience score final: 91%
Genres: Action, Western
Directors: Potsy Ponciroli
Writers: Potsy Ponciroli
Producers: Michael Hagerty, Shannon Houchins
MPAA rating: —
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-08-15 12:42:43
Updated: 2026-08-15 12:42:43
Old Henry is an action-Western about a widowed farmer and his son who warily take in a mysterious, injured man with a satchel of cash. When a posse of men claiming to be the law come for the money, the farmer must decide whom to trust. Defending against a siege of his homestead, he reveals a talent for gunslinging that surprises everyone, calling his true identity into question.
Led by a reliably solid performance from Tim Blake Nelson, Old Henry serves up a supple cut of vintage western rawhide.
Canonical reviews: 72
Canonical fresh: 68
Canonical rotten: 4
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 94%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-08-15 11:47:38
Snapshot Tomatometer: 94%
Snapshot review count: 72
Snapshot fresh count: 68
Snapshot rotten count: 4
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #2802 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| SHOUT! STUDIOS | distributor |
| Hideout Pictures | production |
| Shout! Factory | production |
| SHOUT! STUDIOS | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Blake Nelson | Henry |
| 2 | Scott Haze | Curry |
| 3 | Gavin Lewis | Wyatt |
| 4 | Trace Adkins | Al |
| 5 | Stephen Dorff | Ketchum |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1183 | processed | — | 2026-08-15 12:42:43 | Processed successfully into movie_id=1167 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2802 | 2026-08-15 06:47:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-08-15 11:47:38 | 94% | 72 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 72 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=72, fresh=68, rotten=4, tomatometer=94%. Net new reviews added=72, fresh=68, rotten=4. Current canonical totals=72 reviews, 68 fresh, 4 rotten, tomatometer=94% (94.444%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (72). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (94%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 243725 | David Nusair | Reel Film Reviews | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2026-05-24T16:46:33.000Z | 2026-05-24 16:46:33 | ...a deliberately-paced yet increasingly engrossing western... |
| 243726 | Serena Seghedoni | Loud and Clear Reviews | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-08-03T13:15:08.000Z | 2023-08-03 13:15:08 | Tim Blake Nelson shines in Old Henry, a riveting, slow-burning western that pays homage to the great classics from the past while also reviving the genre. |
| 243727 | Ezequiel Boetti | Otroscines.com | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2023-07-14T19:47:37.000Z | 2023-07-14 19:47:37 | Built with the patience of a goldsmith, the story is dry, as economical as his characters, and direct: a tough nut to crack for eager viewers. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 243728 | Marcelo Stiletano | La Nación (Argentina) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-07-12T15:26:54.000Z | 2023-07-12 15:26:54 | The plot is minimal but it evolves in various dimensions: due to the place each character has within it, the film's mythical setting, and the connection it has with the memory of a Western. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 243729 | Pablo O. Scholz | Clarín | Fresh | 4/4 | 2023-07-10T13:23:42.000Z | 2023-07-10 13:23:42 | [Potsy Ponciroli] earns applause after this movie. He wrote the screenplay too, and it captures your attention with all its twists and turns. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 243730 | Cody Dericks | Next Best Picture | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-07-11T21:14:03.000Z | 2022-07-11 21:14:03 | "Old Henry" [has] a stunning third act that made me reassess Potsy Ponciroli's brutal but effective western as a whole. |
| 243731 | Rubén Rosario | MiamiArtZine | Fresh | — | 2022-03-10T23:27:43.000Z | 2022-03-10 23:27:43 | The way he awakens the gunslinger within, leading to an expertly staged and edited shootout, showcases just how satisfying old-school oaters can be when handled with care. Such is the case with this bloody, compassionate tale... |
| 243732 | Rob Aldam | Backseat Mafia | Fresh | — | 2022-02-20T12:04:38.000Z | 2022-02-20 12:04:38 | Uses a number of familiar themes but does so in a way which heightens both the dramatic elements and moments of tension. |
| 243733 | Filipe Freitas | Always Good Movies | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-02-07T01:08:41.000Z | 2022-02-07 01:08:41 | Its solid entertainment, signaling that westerns are better when made simple. |
| 243734 | Cole Smithey | ColeSmithey.com | Fresh | A- | 2022-01-24T03:40:14.000Z | 2022-01-24 03:40:14 | Tim Blake Nelson is still the best kept secret in Cinema. Shhhhh. |
| 243735 | Carla Hay | Culture Mix | Fresh | — | 2022-01-04T03:50:10.000Z | 2022-01-04 03:50:10 | At first glance, Old Henry seems to be another Western about a bank robbers and gun shootouts. However, the movie has different layers and a few twists that are eventually revealed in this suspenseful and intriguing story. |
| 243736 | Danielle Solzman | Solzy at the Movies | Fresh | — | 2021-12-21T15:00:10.000Z | 2021-12-21 15:00:10 | Old Henry is an action-Western that feels like it could fit in perfectly with the old-school Westerns of the Classic Hollywood era. |
| 243737 | Christina Newland | IndieWire | Rotten | C- | 2021-12-03T20:40:13.000Z | 2021-12-03 20:40:13 | A mediocre film might be excused somewhat by the merit of some ambition, but the problem with "Old Henry" is that there isn't enough of that, either. |
| 243738 | Johnny Loftus | Decider | Fresh | — | 2021-12-03T20:40:11.000Z | 2021-12-03 20:40:11 | Led by a singular performance from Tim Blake Nelson, Old Henry looks backward lovingly at the Western form while immersing its story anew in the tenets and tensions that have always fueled the genre. |
| 243739 | Michael Medved | The Michael Medved Show | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2021-11-15T23:20:08.000Z | 2021-11-15 23:20:08 | Lyrical, brutal, surprising, and spellbinding from beginning to end. |
| 243740 | Matt Brunson | Film Frenzy | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-11-13T18:10:08.000Z | 2021-11-13 18:10:08 | Any narrative failings or familiarities get papered over by Nelson's keen turn. |
| 243741 | Keith Garlington | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Fresh | 88/100 | 2021-10-22T19:30:13.000Z | 2021-10-22 19:30:13 | Old Henry is a lean and old-fashioned Western made by someone with a clear affection for the many classics of a bygone era. |
| 243742 | Kevin Carr | Fat Guys at the Movies | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-15T16:50:09.000Z | 2021-10-15 16:50:09 | This one is deliberately paced, but I think it deserved this... It's a very sparse western, but it works. |
| 243743 | Trace Sauveur | Austin Chronicle | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2021-10-15T16:40:11.000Z | 2021-10-15 16:40:11 | As it stands, there's a healthy amount to admire and for some it may be enough to scratch a certain itch. But much of Old Henry feels a lot like its protagonist: worn-out, weathered, and old. |
| 243744 | Eleanor Ringel Cater | Saporta Report (Atlanta) | Fresh | — | 2021-10-15T00:40:10.000Z | 2021-10-15 00:40:10 | An expert rendering of Old West minimalism, Old Henry also provides a splendid showcase for the considerable skills of its leathery, well-worn star, Tim Blake Nelson. |
| 243745 | Anne Brodie | What She Said | Fresh | — | 2021-10-11T23:50:11.000Z | 2021-10-11 23:50:11 | Tim Blake Nelson in a stunning performance. |
| 243746 | Richard Roeper | Chicago Sun-Times | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2021-10-08T20:40:36.000Z | 2021-10-08 20:40:36 | Playing an isolated farmer who finds a fugitive, the character actor Tim Blake Nelson delivers world-weary greatness. |
| 243747 | Christopher Llewellyn Reed | Film Festival Today | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-07T21:20:20.000Z | 2021-10-07 21:20:20 | Like Nelson, himself, it is well-worn, yet wears it well. |
| 243748 | Karen Gordon | Original Cin | Fresh | — | 2021-10-06T19:30:25.000Z | 2021-10-06 19:30:25 | B-plus A sincere homage, not to the Old West, but to Western movies. At a compact 98 minute running time, it cuts out a lot of exposition to focus on character and action: stand offs, and shoot 'em ups. |
| 243749 | Aaron Neuwirth | We Live Entertainment | Fresh | 7/10 | 2021-10-06T15:50:21.000Z | 2021-10-06 15:50:21 | There's a nice bit of trickiness to what's at play, which keeps the film's momentum high enough, even while operating like a western. |
| 243750 | Nicholas Bell | IONCINEMA.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-10-05T23:30:14.000Z | 2021-10-05 23:30:14 | Ultimately, there's not really any sort of subtextual cachet to be found in Old Henry, but it satisfies just enough to keep one invested through the finale. |
| 243751 | Mary Ann Brussat | Spirituality & Practice | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-10-05T21:40:12.000Z | 2021-10-05 21:40:12 | A classic western that explores the malevolence of family secrets and the yearning for security. |
| 243752 | Susan Granger | www.susangranger.com | Fresh | 7/10 | 2021-10-05T21:30:14.000Z | 2021-10-05 21:30:14 | Gratifying, surprising redemption fable, set in the Old West. |
| 243753 | Andy Klein | FilmWeek (LAist) | Fresh | — | 2021-10-04T23:30:24.000Z | 2021-10-04 23:30:24 | I found this totally engrossing. The action is nicely done, although the flashbacks are less nicely done. This was a convincing Western without your conventional Western leading man. |
| 243754 | Sean Burns | North Shore Movies | Fresh | — | 2021-10-04T21:50:12.000Z | 2021-10-04 21:50:12 | A lean and mean little Western with a big twist. Days later, I'm smiling just thinking about it. |
| 243755 | Joe Friar | Fort Worth Report | Fresh | 4/4 | 2021-10-02T04:20:12.000Z | 2021-10-02 04:20:12 | A classic Western reminiscent of Unforgiven with Tim Blake Nelson in one of his best performances and Stephen Dorff stealing the show. |
| 243756 | Todd Jorgenson | Cinemalogue | Fresh | — | 2021-10-02T01:20:14.000Z | 2021-10-02 01:20:14 | Nelson shines in the title role of this atmospheric Western that puts a mildly fresh spin on frontier mythology. |
| 243757 | Tim Appelo | AARP Movies for Grownups | Fresh | 5/5 | 2021-10-01T22:20:15.000Z | 2021-10-01 22:20:15 | Old Henry is a small film that holds up fairly well against classic Westerns, with familiar oater-flick tropes and a good plot twist. But the reason to see it is Nelson's career-capping role. |
| 243758 | Robert Denerstein | Denerstein Unleashed | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T21:40:15.000Z | 2021-10-01 21:40:15 | There are surprises -- including a whopper at the end -- as the movie slowly reveals an old but reliable theme: The past has a way of catching up with folks and squaring off against them. |
| 243759 | Dwight Brown | National Newspaper Publishers Association | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T21:00:18.000Z | 2021-10-01 21:00:18 | A very simple and ingeniously crafted cowboy yarn. |
| 243760 | Rob Thomas | Capital Times (Madison, WI) | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-01T20:20:20.000Z | 2021-10-01 20:20:20 | It's a rare lead role for one of the best character actors working today, and Nelson grabs it by the reins. |
| 243761 | Bilge Ebiri | New York Magazine/Vulture | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T19:30:14.000Z | 2021-10-01 19:30:14 | Blake Nelson, one of our finest actors, gives Henry's mysterious inner life physical expression. |
| 243762 | Cate Marquis | We Are Movie Geeks | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-01T19:20:11.000Z | 2021-10-01 19:20:11 | Writer/director Potsy Ponciroli's low-budget indie Western action film Old Henry sports a much better than expected cast, and is elevated greatly by Tim Blake Nelson in a rare lead role. |
| 243763 | Vincent Mancini | Uproxx | Fresh | B+ | 2021-10-01T18:00:16.000Z | 2021-10-01 18:00:16 | No one plays a weather-beaten old son of a bitch like Tim Blake Nelson, a gnarled live oak tree in human form. |
| 243764 | James Verniere | Boston Herald | Fresh | A- | 2021-10-01T17:40:11.000Z | 2021-10-01 17:40:11 | Tim Blake Nelson shines in Sam Peckinpah-like revisionist Western. |
| 243765 | Glenn Kenny | RogerEbert.com | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-01T17:20:09.000Z | 2021-10-01 17:20:09 | Tim Blake Nelson ... has the most convincingly exhausted and forlorn hangdog expression in contemporary cinema. |
| 243766 | Robert Abele | Los Angeles Times | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T15:50:08.000Z | 2021-10-01 15:50:08 | Nelson, smartly, grasps that shifting from supporting to lead isn't about letting go the economies of character actor portraiture, but stretching those qualities... |
| 243767 | Robin Clifford | Reeling Reviews | Fresh | B+ | 2021-10-01T04:30:17.000Z | 2021-10-01 04:30:17 | Tim Blake Nelson, as the title character, gives one of the best performances of his career... |
| 243768 | Mark Dujsik | Mark Reviews Movies | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-10-01T04:10:08.000Z | 2021-10-01 04:10:08 | Henry is a firm character before we get to know him and even more fascinating once we really get to know him. |
| 243769 | Jeanne Kaplan | Kaplan vs. Kaplan | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T03:20:10.000Z | 2021-10-01 03:20:10 | A welcome respite from all the comic book offerings. Has all the earmarks of a memorable gunslinging drama. |
| 243770 | David Kaplan | Kaplan vs. Kaplan | Fresh | — | 2021-10-01T03:10:11.000Z | 2021-10-01 03:10:11 | A guns-a-blazing, entertaining Western with a couple of unexpected twists. |
| 243771 | Charles Koplinski | Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam | Fresh | 3.0/4.0 | 2021-10-01T02:40:11.000Z | 2021-10-01 02:40:11 | Derivative in nature and a bit meandering, the film rights itself with a third act surprise that forces us to reevaluate all we've seen before. |
| 243772 | Tim Grierson | Screen International | Fresh | — | 2021-09-30T23:40:18.000Z | 2021-09-30 23:40:18 | Tim Blake Nelson is marvelous as a withdrawn widowed farmer whose violent past will come in handy once he takes in a wounded stranger wanted by some very bad men. |
| 243773 | Joe Morgenstern | Wall Street Journal | Fresh | — | 2021-09-30T22:40:16.000Z | 2021-09-30 22:40:16 | The greatest reward of Old Henry is Mr. Nelson's performance. Though he's never been conventionally handsome -- and his character this time is insistently scruffy -- he holds the camera with a character actor's craft and a movie star's art. |
| 243774 | Dennis Harvey | 48 Hills | Fresh | — | 2021-09-30T22:10:10.000Z | 2021-09-30 22:10:10 | Though seldom less than excellent in any part, Nelson often seems especially suited to period roles... |
| 243775 | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Common Sense Media | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-30T20:40:11.000Z | 2021-09-30 20:40:11 | A well-cast Nelson is at the center of this classically built Western, which uses well-defined spaces to explore themes of violence, risk, and caution, as well as packing a surprising wallop. |
| 243776 | Kyle Mullin | Under the Radar | Fresh | 9/10 | 2021-09-30T18:30:15.000Z | 2021-09-30 18:30:15 | Old Henry is the best revisionist Western since Unforgiven. |
| 243777 | Randy Myers | San Jose Mercury News | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-09-30T17:00:14.000Z | 2021-09-30 17:00:14 | Nelson has long been a character actor who makes almost every film he's in even better. Here, Ponciroli gifts him with one of his best roles yet. |
| 243778 | Ben Kenigsberg | New York Times | Fresh | — | 2021-09-30T12:40:05.000Z | 2021-09-30 12:40:05 | "Old Henry" makes a solid, honorable go of proving once again that the foursquare western isn't dead, though in paying homage to its forebears, it inevitably stands in their very long shadows. |
| 243779 | Brian Orndorf | Blu-ray.com | Fresh | B+ | 2021-09-29T20:20:13.000Z | 2021-09-29 20:20:13 | Nelson is exceptional here, bringing pure grit to the production, helping to escalate a slow-burn endeavor from Ponciroli. |
| 243780 | Neely Swanson | Easy Reader (California) | Fresh | — | 2021-09-29T18:40:23.000Z | 2021-09-29 18:40:23 | Old Henry gives [Tim Blake Nelson] the lead that he has always deserved and carry this film he does. |
| 243781 | Christopher Lloyd | The Film Yap | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2021-09-29T12:40:06.000Z | 2021-09-29 12:40:06 | Tim Blake Nelson goes dark and dour in this top-notch Western that fits him like well-worn leather, playing an Okie farmer facing off against desperate men. |
| 243782 | Weldon B. Johnson | Arizona Republic | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-28T17:40:08.000Z | 2021-09-28 17:40:08 | While it might not bethe most original story, it is well done and Nelson's portrayal of farmer-turned-reluctant-gunslinger is worth the price of a ticket. |
| 243783 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Fresh | 6/10 | 2021-09-28T16:20:14.000Z | 2021-09-28 16:20:14 | Character actor Tim Blake Nelson gets a movie all his own and he fills up the screen. |
| 243784 | Joey Magidson | Awards Radar | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-09-28T16:00:18.000Z | 2021-09-28 16:00:18 | Old Henry is a wonderful showcase for Tim Blake Nelson, who has rarely been better. He commands the screen here. |
| 243785 | Jared Mobarak | The Film Stage | Fresh | B+ | 2021-09-28T14:40:15.000Z | 2021-09-28 14:40:15 | This western is dialogue heavy with sharp bursts of violence before the big fight, thriving on the internal tumult of its characters. |
| 243786 | Robert Kojder | Flickering Myth | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-28T05:10:06.000Z | 2021-09-28 05:10:06 | Old Henry has a few too many blandly utilized old tropes mitigated by a killer must-see turn from Tim Blake Nelson |
| 243787 | Laura Clifford | Reeling Reviews | Fresh | B | 2021-09-27T21:20:07.000Z | 2021-09-27 21:20:07 | Starring the Coen Brothers' go-to hayseed Tim Blake Nelson ("The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"), "Old Henry" is a redemptive tale laced with the romance of the American Western outlaw. |
| 243788 | Steven Warner | In Review Online | Rotten | — | 2021-09-13T15:50:08.000Z | 2021-09-13 15:50:08 | Not a single original moment is to be found in Old Henry, nor one of any inspiration. |
| 243789 | Dennis Schwartz | Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews | Fresh | B+ | 2021-09-10T19:20:06.000Z | 2021-09-10 19:20:06 | The action B-western is lean, mean and economically filmed. |
| 243790 | Pete Hammond | Deadline Hollywood Daily | Fresh | — | 2021-09-08T18:30:05.000Z | 2021-09-08 18:30:05 | It may not break new ground in the well-worn genre but it exists, I think, primarily to give Nelson a real leading role in which to sink his false teeth. He does that and more and is so much fun to watch. |
| 243791 | Steve Pond | TheWrap | Fresh | — | 2021-09-07T23:00:07.000Z | 2021-09-07 23:00:07 | At times you wish it could be more expansive, but the truth in this beautiful elegy is that you don't really need more action than what you can find in Tim Blake Nelson's eyes. |
| 243793 | David Rooney | The Hollywood Reporter | Fresh | — | 2021-09-07T20:20:12.000Z | 2021-09-07 20:20:12 | It evolves into a satisfying reflection on the more complicated, somber realities behind the icons of the Wild West, separated from the embroidery of legend. |
| 243792 | Xan Brooks | Guardian | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-07T20:20:12.000Z | 2021-09-07 20:20:12 | While I'll confess that most westerns have me at howdy, Old Henry is a determinedly low-aiming affair. |
| 243796 | Owen Gleiberman | Variety | Fresh | — | 2021-09-07T20:20:11.000Z | 2021-09-07 20:20:11 | A rock-solid, off-the-beaten-path Western, one that's been built as a kind of pedestal for Nelson's performance. |
| 243795 | Robbie Collin | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-07T20:20:11.000Z | 2021-09-07 20:20:11 | It's a film that creaks as reassuringly as leather. |
| 243794 | Steph Green | Little White Lies | Fresh | — | 2021-09-07T20:20:11.000Z | 2021-09-07 20:20:11 | A modest treat with a barnstorming turn from Tim Blake Nelson. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.