The Last Son (2021) is a Western that feels less like a nostalgic ode to frontier mythology and more like a grim meditation on the futility of escaping one’s own blood. Directed by Tim Sutton, the film unfolds against the harsh Montana wilderness, where violence is less a choice than an inheritance.

Plot Overview

At the heart of the story is Isaac LeMay (Sam Worthington), an outlaw plagued by a prophecy that one of his children will be the instrument of his death. The logic of superstition becomes the motor of his actions: kill or be killed. LeMay’s solution is brutal but simple—he hunts down his own bloodline, one by one, in hopes of outrunning destiny.

Only one son remains: Cal (Colson Baker, known more widely as Machine Gun Kelly). Unlike a shadowy figure waiting in the wings, Cal is already steeped in violence, carving his name into the wilderness with reckless abandon. The inevitable father-son confrontation looms, shadowed by the pursuit of U.S. Marshal Solomon (Thomas Jane), who brings a weary sense of order to the chaos.

Performances

• Sam Worthington delivers a haunted presence. His LeMay is not the stoic cowboy but a man consumed by paranoia, rage, and the creeping realization that fate cannot be outgunned.
• Colson Baker surprises. While his performance is rough-edged, it aligns with the character’s volatility. Cal is less a villain than a product of inherited violence.
• Thomas Jane anchors the narrative. As the Marshal, he represents a fragile sense of morality, though one constantly under siege.

Direction and Atmosphere

Sutton directs with an eye for bleak landscapes and silences heavy with implication. The cinematography paints the frontier not as a land of opportunity but as a prison without walls, where dust and blood mingle. The atmosphere recalls the fatalism of Cormac McCarthy’s prose, where men are bound to cycles of violence beyond their comprehension.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What Works

• A chilling exploration of inherited destiny and generational violence.
• Strong visual composition that underscores the film’s fatalism.
• Jane’s performance adds depth and gravitas.

What Falters

• Worthington, though compelling, sometimes struggles to rise above the film’s bleak monotone.
• The pacing can feel uneven, lingering in brooding silence before rushing through key confrontations.
• Baker’s performance, while spirited, lacks the nuance to fully match the weight of the story.

Final Verdict

The Last Son is not an easy Western to digest. It lacks the catharsis of classic tales and offers instead a portrait of doom—an outlaw who becomes the architect of his own prophecy. In its best moments, it feels like a meditation on bloodlines and the inescapable shadows of the past. In its weaker passages, it risks drowning in its own nihilism.

For viewers seeking a Western where dust settles only after blood is spilled, this film delivers. But for those looking for redemption in the wilderness, The Last Son offers none.