The Weight review: Ethan Hawke leads a sturdy 1930s adventure

At Sundance, The Weight is a small‑budget 1930s adventure about gold smuggling anchored by a physically demanding performance from Ethan Hawke.

The Weight is a modest adventure drama playing at the Sundance film festival. It is set in Oregon in 1933 and follows a widowed former soldier trying to protect his daughter while becoming involved in gold smuggling. The film is directed by Padraic McKinley and aims for an old‑school, matinee style rather than modern reinvention. Its production is small scale and the story is told in a straightforward, unadorned manner. Key details: - The story centers on Murphy, played by Ethan Hawke, a widower and ex‑soldier who is forced into a labour camp and then recruited to help move stolen gold ahead of a government amnesty. - Hawke’s character is shown as highly competent and the role is described as physically demanding for the actor. - The director is Padraic McKinley and the screenplay is credited to Shelby Gaines, Matthew Chapman and Matthew Booi. - The film was shot largely outside backwoods locations (production work took place in Germany) and is modest in its number of setpieces. - Russell Crowe appears in a small, book‑ending role and Avy Berry plays Murphy’s young daughter. Summary: The Weight presents a restrained, old‑fashioned adventure that relies heavily on Ethan Hawke’s committed, physical lead performance and an independent spirit in its production. Critics note that the film’s low budget and some script choices limit suspense and depth in places. Sundance screening has framed it as a small, crowd‑pleasing effort rather than a bold reinvention. Undetermined at this time.