We Take the Low Road

Quoting both John Wayne and Friedrich Nietzsche, We Take the Low Road translates the aesthetics of David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water medical industry conspired with politicians to dramatically increase prices and exploit the ill, and names the corpinto the Pacific Northwest, with a dose of horror and dark comedy. After a leak reveals that the orate villains who profited, three vigilantes take justice into their own hands in this grisly Western thriller set among the grassy hills and burnt yellow hues of Eastern Washington. The three would-be murderers - a vengeful son, a quick-witted mechanic, and a cash-strapped friend - slip on crazed animal masks and hit the road with a name and address. Their motivation: revenge, righting injustice, and…well…cash. Their plan: simple. Their execution: not so much. As the trio’s mission spirals violently out of control and they threaten to become no better than the monsters they’re hunting, co-directors Domenic Barbero and Jerry Spears bring in welcome ambiguity. We Take the Low Road’s hard look at healthcare is topical and provocative, but it moves far beyond it in reflecting more broadly on the impact of illness - its cruelty and ubiquity - and on inequity, justice, and violence. While navigating these questions, Barbero and Spears’ film winds among dry valleys and wind turbines, enamored of the dry, isolated desert. (Seattle International Film Festival)