Watch The Retrieval

The Retrieval is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged drama set during the American Civil War. The movie centers around a 13-year-old boy named Will (Ashton Sanders) who is taken under the wing of a gang of bounty hunters. Will's job is to find and bring back fugitive slaves to their owners in exchange for money. The movie takes place in 1864, and we see an America in the midst of a brutal Civil War that has torn the country apart. Will and his fellow bounty hunters are tasked with tracking down a former slave named Nate (Tishuan Scott) who has escaped from his plantation and is now living in freedom with his family.

Nate is a skilled blacksmith, and he and his family are trying to eke out a living in the wilderness. When Will and his crew find Nate, they convince him to come with them to a nearby plantation under the guise of working as a blacksmith. However, their true intentions are to turn him over to his former owner, who will undoubtedly punish him severely for his escape.

The Retrieval is a powerful portrait of a time in American history that was marked by extreme violence and brutality. The movie does not shy away from showing the horrors of slavery and the cruelty of the slave owners, but it also explores the camaraderie and loyalty that can exist between people from different walks of life.

As Will and Nate journey towards the plantation, they begin to form a bond that is both unexpected and profound. Will is a conflicted character, torn between his loyalty to his friends and his growing understanding of the injustices of slavery. Nate, on the other hand, is a proud and defiant man who refuses to be cowed by his former oppressors.

The Retrieval also deals with themes of identity and belonging. Will's father is a Confederate soldier who he has not seen in years, and he is struggling to find his place in the world as a young boy caught up in a war that he does not fully understand. Nate, on the other hand, is grappling with his identity as a free man after years of being owned by someone else.

The acting in The Retrieval is exceptional, with standout performances from both Ashton Sanders and Tishuan Scott. Sanders captures the vulnerability and uncertainty of a young boy forced to navigate the complex and dangerous world of bounty hunting. Scott, meanwhile, brings a quiet dignity and strength to his portrayal of Nate, a man who has suffered unspeakable horrors but refuses to be broken.

The cinematography in The Retrieval is also noteworthy, with sweeping vistas of the American wilderness contrasted with the cramped and claustrophobic interiors of slave cabins and plantations. The movie is a visual representation of the stark contrast between a world of freedom and possibility and one of bondage and oppression.

Overall, The Retrieval is a powerful and poignant movie that offers a unique perspective on the Civil War and the issue of slavery. It is a story of two unlikely companions who are forced together by circumstance but who ultimately find an unlikely connection that transcends race and class. It is a movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

The Retrieval is a 2014 western with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 75.