Set in 1988, Hellfire is a bare-bones pseudo-western narrative that’s so paint-by-numbers you can plop it down in damn near any setting in any era. A nameless drifter (Stephen Lang, Don’t Breathe, VFW) wanders into a small, troubled town ruled over by local despot Jeremiah (Harvey Keitel, Mean Streets). He befriends local saloon owner Lena (Scottie Thompson, NCIS) and finds a town in peril. Being a stoic hero—a random street dog likes him in an early scene, so you can tell right away he’s a good guy—he goes about the business of setting them free.
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Florentine assembles a solid cast for this sort of affair. Lang fits perfectly into the grizzled, man-of-few-words role, his steely glare enough to turn most men to ice. Furthering the out-of-time sensation of the story, he dresses like a grown-up Newsie, like he could be riding the rails during the Great Depression. Keitel, obviously a legend, calls to mind Ben Gazzara’s small town oligarch in Road House, though admittedly much less fun. In reality, Jeremiah’s lovelorn fail-son Clyde (Michael Sirow, Primal) is the more present antagonist. Dolph Lundgren (Rocky 4, Aquaman) also shows up as a corrupt sheriff in Jeremiah’s pocket, but who mostly wants to nap on the job and read his fishing magazines. Sadly, if you hope to get the big three on screen for a face off, you’ll be disappointed.
This is the type of town that is blank in a way only low-budget movie towns are, because they can’t afford or don’t want to hassle with logos and clearances and that sort of thing. The saloon just has a sign that says “saloon.” Same with the motel. This is partially intentional, to enhance the “Anytown U.S.A.” feel,” but also a financial choice. Despite a paper-thin plot and characters, Richard Lowry tries to infuse his script with biblical epic-ness. There’s much talk of penance, impending storms, and the like. But even with that, there’s little in the way of subtext or nuance. What you see is what you get, and there’s nothing deeper to dig for.
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Hellfire is fun enough for what it is. Honestly, it’s hard to recommend to anyone outside of the most hardcore DTV devotees. Those so inclined will find a decent amount to enjoy, with Lang’s hard-eyed stranger with a shadowy past, a classical-music-playing villain, and a glorified cameo from a towering Swede. There are even a few strong hand-to-hand throwdowns. Beyond those who already recognize and celebrate the works of Isaac Florentine and this subset of action cinema, however, this is likely to be met with a shrug. [Grade: C+]
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