A couple finds themselves living near a questionable religious leader (Jason Isaacs) and his compound. The wife (January Jones) soon encounters a significant challenge, while an unusual but righteous lawman (Ed Harris) assumes the Sheriff’s responsibilities in the nearby town. "Sweetwater” (2013) brings to mind three Western films from the 70s: it shares “Bad Company's” sense of desperate loneliness and expansive scenery, "The Great Minnesota Northfield Raid’s” portrayal of the Old West’s darker side, and "The Missouri Breaks’” quirky feel, along with that film’s eccentric but bold main character. A couple of more recent Westerns also came to mind: “South of Heaven, West of Hell” and “The Proposition.” It's better than some of those films, though not as strong as the best ones. Still, if you enjoy any of them, you will likely appreciate "Sweetwater." The film presents a villain who is easy to dislike, similar to those in "Rob Roy" and "Inglourious Basterds.” One viewer criticized the character Sarah for being a prostitute, but that’s inaccurate. She had completely abandoned her former life, which she was led into by her mother. In fact, she's a devoted wife to her quiet husband (Eduardo Noriega). The same critic expressed disappointment with the depiction of "evil Christians," but they aren't true followers of Christ. The Bible clearly states: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves… Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…” (from Matthew 7:15-23). So, the 'Prophet' in the movie is a false prophet. This becomes evident near the end when he shoots a sheep without reason, symbolizing his disregard for the “sheep” of the Church and his deliberate destruction of them. It’s also relevant that the film implies he was Mormon rather than a strictly biblical believer, as he originated from Utah and left several wives behind there. The movie would have benefited from a contrasting character to Josiah, similar to how "The Mist" used Amanda (Laurie Holden) to counter Mrs. Carmody (Gay Harden). It has a running time of 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe as well as Abiquiu, which is a 65-mile drive north of the ranch in north-central New Mexico. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB