Review: Pierce Brosnan & Samuel L. Jackson Face Off In The Gritty Western THE UNHOLY TRINITY
Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson make for an intriguing pairing in Richard Gray’s gritty western, The Unholy Trinity. It’s an entertaining entry into the genre, and while it doesn’t break a whole lot of new ground, there is enjoyment to be had seeing seasoned pros like Brosnan and Jackson spit out tough guy lines while brandishing a six-shooter.
Brosnan plays Gabriel Dove, the sheriff who keeps an uneasy peace in the frontier town of Trinity. Things take an explosive turn when Brandon Lessard’s Henry rides into town seeking revenge for his father. He quickly goes about killing a local tough guy and causing all sorts of havoc on his arrival. The young man is then confronted by Christopher (a somewhat under-used Samuel L. Jackson), an old friend of his father’s who is after a cache of gold which was stolen years before. Horses are ridden, guns are shot and no western trope is left untouched as The Unholy Trinity gallops through its 94-minute running time.
Like I said, there’s nothing new on display here, but it’s a well-shot western with a wonderfully grizzled turn from Pierce Brosnan. You can tell that he’s having a blast playing the sheriff, fulfilling a boyhood fantasy and enjoying the trappings of the genre. Of course, this isn’t the first time that the former James Bond actor has dabbled in the genre, having starred in Seraphim Falls opposite Liam Neeson and having appeared in two seasons of the television series, The Son. It’s not director Richard Gray’s first rodeo either. He directed the 2022 western, Murder at Yellowstone City – a pic which starred Thomas Jane and Brosnan’s fellow Irishman, Gabriel Byrne (who also played a sheriff). Both films were shot on the Yellowstone ranch, a Montana location that offers-up serious scenic value and an authentic-looking old school moviemaking backlot setting.
The action sequences are well-choreographed and there’s punch and vigour when Smith & Wessons are fired and Winchester rifles are cocked. It’s exciting stuff, even when you know how things are going to play out. The Unholy Trinity is just a fun slice of entertainment; it’s not trying to do anything new or take the western in a different direction – but most of the films back in the genre’s heyday didn’t do that either. They existed to make sure that you got bang for your buck – and seeing Pierce Brosnan playing a sheriff cleaning up a dirty frontier town certainly does that.
