Ethan Hawke Can’t Lift All Too Familiar ‘Weight’

Padraic McKinley’s “The Weight” begins in 1933, in Eugene, Ore., during the Great Depression.

We begin with a father named Samuel (Ethan Hawke) driving wildly with his daughter Penny (well played by Avy Berry) in the back seat, apparently evading authorities. The opening line is Samuel assuring Penny, “I told you, I ain’t never been caught and I ain’t never gonna be caught.”

This pre-title sequence depicts how Samuel does indeed wind up getting caught and arrested, as Penny not only has to part with her teddy bear but watch her father get pulled away and taken to prison.

During his time of incarceration, Samuel’s leadership abilities and intelligence catch the attention of the Warden (Russell Crowe), who takes pity on him and offers him a way out: if Samuel will partake in a grueling heist, leading a group of fellow prisoners up a mountain to acquire and move a lot of gold, he will be free and reunite with Penny.

The production values are polished, as are the period details, costumes and cinematography, which are every bit as muscular as the performances.

So why didn’t the film immerse me in its story? It’s because the screenplay that unfolds reminded me a little of Peter Weir’s “The Way Back” (2010), and some of John Huston’s “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” (1948) and a whole lot of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “The Wages of Fear” (1953) and it’s equally terrific, if different, remake, William Friedkin’s “Sorcerer” (1977).

You could say that puts “The Weight” in great company, but it made me wish I was watching one of those other movies.

FAST FACT: Ethan Hawke doesn’t just act. He’s founded a theater company, written several novels and directed multiple films. He even helmed the iconic Lisa Loeb video for “Stay (I Missed You)” in 1994. 

The prisoners who assist Samuel in his quest gradually get a form of greed or “gold fever” that overpowers them, but the characters’ actions don’t always make sense. More fatally, even though the closing scenes are intended to be satisfying, I had a hard time believing them.

“The Weight” is yet another vehicle for Hawke to remind us why he’s one of the best film actors working today. No matter what the project, he’s reliably superb and gives the film a must-see distinction, no matter how good or bad it turned out.

Hawke is surrounded by a solid ensemble and vivid period details. While not a bad film, the screenplay by Matthew Booi and Shelby Gaines (from a story by Leo Scherman, Matthew Chapman and Booi) isn’t as strong as the set-up and key scenes.

There are title cards that inform us the time shifts to “Five Days Out,” “Four Months Later,” etc., that made me wonder if this would be better as a novel.

A new clip from ‘The Weight’ starring Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe & Julia Jones has been released.

In theaters September 18. pic.twitter.com/9sWPNg2scE

— ScreenPulse (@TheScreenPulse) September 10, 2026

McKinley is an impressive filmmaker, and his action sequences are well staged but fall short of real excitement.

It’s always a pleasure to see Hawke and Crowe in fine form, but both have given even better performances in far more accomplished works. Had the screenplay been stronger and not just a series of scenes that nod to classic works of film and literature, this could have been a classic.

Perhaps I’m overly familiar with the men-against-wilderness-and-the-wilderness-within movie, or I just can’t get over my adoration for “Sorcerer.” I want to cut “The Weight” a break because the film is well done, even as the story isn’t remotely surprising or fresh.

If you’re looking for an old-fashioned adventure, where damaged men test themselves against merciless nature, you could watch “The Weight,” or … start with “The Treasure of Sierra Madre,” ease your way into “The Wages of Fear,” then see “The Way Back,” and finish strong with “Sorcerer.”

Watch those films, then see “The Weight” and ask yourself if the new film carries its, um…

Two Stars