WNN Monday Movie Review: The Weight

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The movie The Weight was released this past weekend on September 18th, 2026.  It's a Depression-era survival crime/thriller movie set in the backwoods of Oregon.  It stars Ethan Hawke as prisoner Samuel Murphy, who desperately tries to get set free and reunite with his young daughter since he is the only guardian after his wife dies.  A deal is made with Warden Clancy, played by Russell Crowe, to be set free if he and other prisoners haul gold to a specific location.  Anna, played by Julia Jones, comes along early in the movie to tag along with the group as they haul the gold.  The journey becomes traumatic and thrilling as many obstacles get in their way.  The nearly 2-hour movie is R-rated, and for good reason: there is violence and blood.  The plot is pretty straightforward and doesn't bend much, but it does have some Deliverance-movie vibes, where the wilderness is a character in itself.

Movie Style

The director is Padraic McKinley, a longtime editor, and The Weight is his directorial debut.  The Weight is shot is an older-style theme with long pauses and holding on to characters for extended periods.  This could make the film slow and sluggish to some viewers, but that is the intent of the movie.  A dramatic soundtrack interacts with the movie but is not a character; it's just there to add effect.

Financials

The movie was actually filmed in Bavaria, Germany, to depict the Oregon wilderness.  The reason for this was the movie grants and incentives in Germany.  This independent movie has several production companies involved, including Fields Entertainment, Under the Influence Productions, Augenschein Filmproduktion, and Construction Filmproduktion, with distribution companies being Vertical Films and Capelight Pictures.  You will notice all of these in the exhausting opening credits.  With an estimated $6 million budget, The Weight brought in approximately $2.3 million domestically on opening weekend.

The Hoot Review Scale

• 5 Hoots - Outstanding filmmaking with emotional or cultural impact
• 4 hoots - Great movie with some minor flaws. Would recommend to a friend.
• 3 Hoots. Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking. 
• 2 Hoots - It was okay, but it falls short of expectations or potential. 
• 1 Hoot - Weak story and/or poor execution. 

3.5 Hoot Review Rating

I give The Weight a 3.5 out of 5 hoots.  It's a pretty good movie with well-known actors who do a great job, especially Ethan Hawke; however, the storyline is basic and not mind-bending at all.  All it needed were some banjos, and it could have been Deliverance Two, sort of.