The road to redemption can be long and hard, and fraught with all sorts of perils. In Trevor Stevens’ neo western/comedy/noir The Misadventures Of Vince And Hick, Hickory Dunn is about to learn this the hard way when he begins the journey to get home to Santa Fe for his daughter’s birthday party after getting out of jail. In his trek to reclaim the mantle of Good Dad, Hick finds out that sorting your life out is even more difficult and absolutely fucking annoying than he realized after he runs into Vince Campbell, an exhaustively charming con man desperate to forge his own redemption arc and burdened with his own personal demons. Along the way there is plenty of introspection, mayhem, and all sorts of dumb but delightful bullshit.
This movie is an utter joy to witness. Chase Cargill and Heston Horwin as the titular Hick and Vince have perfect chemistry, each one bringing out the best in the other. Cargill brings to life a seemingly rugged and stoic archetype of a character, the Quiet Badass Familly Man. Horwin (who also wrote the film) is the Smooth Talking Con. Lest these characters come off as one dimensional, as the film progresses different facets of each are revealed, building off these classic models and often skewering them to create an emotional core that is impossible not to fall in love with. There are so many moments in this film that pop because of this chemistry, be they humorous or dramatic. The occasional breaks in Cargill’s exterior to show not just a softer side when it comes to his daughter but also a goofier side when opening up around Vince are so effective because they’re convincingly contrasted with the grim and determined shell, he carries through much of the film. Likewise, the departures of Horwin’s jester-esque demeanor are striking; there’s no easy “sad clown” trope going on here, but rather a strike sense of “oh this guy is actually fucked and this is best he can hope for.” The criminally underrated Katie Parker as Hick’s estranged ex-wife is absolutely wonderful. She gives us someone who, while unable to actually be in a relationship with Hick (understandably), still believes in him and still sees his essential goodness. She is clearly rooting for him to succeed, not just as a father but as a person. There’s a believable chemistry between her and Cargill, an exasperated and exhausted air from her towards him, a beloved ex who’d be perfect if they would’ve gotten their shit together in time.
I can’t recommend this film enough. From the beginning to end its somehow both heavy as hell but an absolute delight. It has all the fixings of a classic buddy film but never feels stale or rehashed. It’s familiar but still has enough surprises to stay fun. Like a Coen Brothers film you never knew existed, The Misadventures Of Vince And Hick packs an emotional punch and carries a life lesson you think you’ve learned but can’t quite explain.
