Tom Hanks, a national treasure, appears in the 2020 movie New of the World. The film, directed by Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, Bourne) weaves together a western tale told with excellent pacing, and held together by Hanks.
New of the World, set in 1870’s texas, tells the tale of retired Civil War Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks) as he travels Texas reading newspapers to townsfolk to tell the News. He comes upon a 10-year-old girls taken by Kiowa natives. Taking it upon himself to escort the child across Texas to her relatives, facing dangers only the Wild West can offer, the film delves into beautiful landscapes, aptly set soundtrack, and a solid performance from Tom Hanks.
At the end of the day, the movie was Tom Hanks playing Tom Hanks. The dialogue and era are interesting, and the conflicts were believable. The movie isn’t a traditional western but it was better for it. Hanks’ acting was solid and Helena Zengel (Johanna) did really well. If historical accuracy is your thing, the movie delivers. IMDB has it sitting at 6.9 right now, and I think that’s more than fair for this little western gem. Rounding up gives it a solid 7/10. Add it to your watchlist and let us know in the comments if you’ve seen it and what your take is.
