The Gecko brothers roll into town – and Richie is sure that everyone knows why they’re there…
Robert Rodriguez’s reinvention of his classic horror movie (which I managed to see for the first time completely unspoiled, so it was a real shock when it changed direction massively halfway through) sets out its revised stall right from the first shots, as a young girl is thrown into a snake pit by people in indigenous outfits. This isn’t just going to be the bad guys vs creatures of the night that the movie is (at least on the surface).
Don Johnson guest stars as the local Texas Ranger, who’s riding with his protégé Freddie when they stop at a local liquor store and find themselves in the middle of a hostage situation. With assorted brief flashbacks, it’s a good way to introduce us both to the Geckos and to those following them: DJ Cotrona captures the not quite of his depth quality of Seth, while Zane Holtz manages to be creepier than Quentin Tarantino was in the role of Richie (which takes some doing). We don’t get as far as meeting the Fullers in this opener, but we learn far more about the Geckos, and get some interesting insights into how they view the world – and some very intriguing hints as to what the world is with which they’re involved.
Verdict: Whether you know the movie or not, if you like Rodriguez’s style, you’re going to enjoy this – a noir thriller with some horrific twists. 8/10
Paul Simpson
From Dusk Till Dawn airs in the UK on Netflix from March 12, and in the US on the El Rey network from March 11.
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