Plot Summary of Cutter’s Way (Spoiler-Free)
Cutter’s Way kicks off with Richard Bone (played by a very shaggy, very unbothered Jeff Bridges) stumbling across a suspicious scene in a dark alley, like, classic film noir setup stuff.
There’s a body, and there’s a vague glimpse of someone getting rid of evidence. But Bone, being the human version of a shrug, doesn’t think much of it, until he finds out the body was a teenage girl.
Enter Alex Cutter (John Heard), his war-vet buddy who’s had a real crap time post-Vietnam, and together, they fall into this unofficial investigation, that’s more about them screaming into the void until someone hears them.
Cutter’s Way Review: Is It Worth Watching?
If you haven’t watched Cutter’s Way before, I highly recommend it. Don’t watch it expecting a tidy little thriller where all the clues come together and everyone claps at the end. This isn’t a popcorn mystery. It’s more like a whiskey-soaked nightmare with moments of brilliance so sharp they hurt.
It’s might not be a fun ride, but it’s a damn good one. This is one of those movies that clearly had no idea how to sell itself and got totally shafted by its studio, but that just makes it more interesting in retrospect.
The cast is fantastic. Jeff Bridges, even back then, could do more with a sigh than most actors can do with a monologue. His character is a human jellyfish, just floating through women, conversations, and crimes with this spaced-out charm.
And then you’ve got John Heard, as Cutter Cutter is angry, mean, stubborn, and yet somehow, heartbreaking. You don’t like him, but you get him.
Lisa Eichhorn, who plays Cutter’s wife Mo, quietly steals scenes just by existing. She’s bitter, tired, sarcastic, and beautiful in that world-worn kind of way. She doesn’t get flashy monologues. She gets long silences that say more than dialogue ever could.
Most of the film is just these three characters interacting, drinking, talking, fighting, and falling apart. It’s full of slow-burn existential dread. Not so much a “Whodunnit?” with regards to the crime, more of “Does it even matter anymore?”.
But there’s just something hypnotic about how broken everyone is. And the cinematography only adds to that, with its muted tones, long takes, and natural light that makes everything look a little too real.
But that’s the whole movie, really. It just stares you down until you finally blink, and leaves a mark. It’s full of pain, guilt, and that very specific American flavor of disillusionment that came after the ‘70s died.
It’s not clean, nor polished. But it doesn’t want to be.
It just wants to be honest.
What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)
Pros
The Performances:
Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn all bring their A-game. Heard especially deserves way more recognition for what he pulled off here.
The Mood
Sad, slow, but never boring.
Stunning Visuals
Cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth (who also shot Blade Runner, by the way) does magic here. The film looks gorgeous in a gritty, sun-bleached way.
Sharp Dialogue
Smart, sharp, and real. Cutter’s rants, Bone’s apathy, Mo’s sarcasm. It all feels painfully human.
Ambiguity
This one doesn’t wrap things up in a bow, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful.
Cons
Dropped Subplots
The dead girl’s sister could’ve been a powerful character, but she vanishes halfway through like someone forgot she existed.
Pacing
Some scenes meander, especially in the middle. Not a massive issue for me as I found it so interesting, but for others it will be.
I Hate The Title
Seriously. Cutter’s Way sounds like a failed daytime soap. It was originally called Cutter and Bone, which is just as bad, isn’t it?
Who might like Cutter’s Way
- Fans of character-driven dramas with a dark edge
- If you appreciate movies that don’t spoon-feed answers
- Anyone tired of slick, over-produced modern thrillers
- People who don’t mind their mystery with a side of midlife crisis
Who might dislike Cutter’s Way
- Anyone expecting a fast-paced, clue-hunting murder mystery
- Folks who need a clear resolution or happy ending
- Viewers who can’t stand slow character studies
- People who prefer movies with upbeat energy or modern polish
Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching Cutter’s Way?
I love this film, but when I say love, I mean it in a I “love” peeling off a bandage to see how bad the wound is underneath kind of way.
Cutter’s Way is not comfortable, and it’s not upbeat. It just wants to sit next to you and say, “Hey, everything kind of sucks” And then maybe have a drink with you while you think about all the ways we let each other down.
It’s a shame this film got buried when it came out, but I get it. It’s hard to market a story that makes people squirm. There’s no neat genre box you can put it in, and it doesn’t look like much on the surface, either.
But if you like your movies with a pulse and a little dangerous, then Cutter’s Way is worth every minute. Maybe not a movie for everyone, but definitely a movie for someone. Like me.
Maybe you, too?
8/10.
Cutter’s Way Trailer
Simon Leasher
A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More
And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.
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