News of the World

Amazon Prime Movie 🎥 Review: “News of the World”

Critics gave it a 87% the users an 89%.

Rated: PG-13 with a 2 hr run time and an IMDb of 7.0/10.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Tom Astor, Travis Johnson, Andy Kastelic, Ray McKinnon, Mare Winningham, Jeffrey Ware, Chris Bylsma, Justin Tade just to name a few.

Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas. However, the long journey soon turns into a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn -- both human and natural.

News of the World is a 2020 American Western drama film co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles, and starring Tom Hanks and introducing Helena Zengel. The film was released theatrically by Universal Pictures in the United States on December 25, 2020, and by Netflix in other international territories. It received positive reviews from critics who praised Hanks' and Zengel's performances, Greengrass’ direction, cinematography and score.

I see Tom Hank’s name for an upcoming move and my interest immediately goes right for it. He is one of my favorite actors and I’ve never been disappointed with any of his films…..yes even “Castaway”. Even though this film may not be as fast-paced as the usual Paul Greengrass thrillers (such as the original Bourne Trilogy and "Captain Phillips"), News of the World is still an intriguing and gripping adventure with an unusual story line for a western film.

It is a beautifully shot drama with Tom Hanks, as expected, bringing a warm and welcome presence that holds the whole film together. Coupled up with his co-star, Helena Zengel, makes for an amazingly good chemistry that you will begin to realize that it is truly the heart of “News of the World”

Heads Up: as this film was destined for the theater and with most theaters being very limited in their available showings, I paid the $19.99 on Prime to watch from the comfort and safety of my home……totally worth it!