A defiant young woman, an isolated Union outpost during the Civil War, a harsh, frigid winter, and a group of outlaws on the hunt for missing gold. The ingredients are perfect for a chilly, tense Western where loyalties will be questioned, and blood will inevitably splash red against the fallen snow. John Suits’ icy thriller The Isolate Thief achieves all that is expected and more, a deadly game of survival led by compelling lead performances by Mackenzie Foy and Sean Bean.
Foy, who is widely remembered for her role as Esme in the Twilight films, excels in the most mature role of her young career. She plays Adeline, and initially, we’re wondering why she’s all alone at a Union outpost in the dead of winter. Turns out, she’s there out of a sense of duty. Her father was a Major-General in the Union army, but now he’s dead, and only Adeline is left to man the post. We instantly know she’s more than capable, fending off wolves and wielding firearms like a seasoned pro. If she were to be left all alone for the long haul, she would be fine. But when a wayward thief, played by Joe Pantoliano, shows up and he is quickly followed by a group of outlaws in Union garb who are looking for a stash of missing gold, it becomes clear that Adeline has no defense against the cruel world out there. Or does she?
Nothing is quite as it seems in The Isolate Thief. Bean plays the gang’s leader, Fiddler John, who is polite and even kind to Adeline, even as he basically forces himself into her home with a roughneck crew at his side. This time is especially dangerous for women, as seen in the role of Emily, played by Odeya Rush, who appears to be the gang’s traveling prostitute, although that suggests she has some say in the matter.
Kevin Lefler’s tight screenplay homes in on the game of cat and mouse between Adeline and John; the two dancing a congenial dance without ever giving away the other’s true intentions. We know Adeline’s not helpless, but she’s willing to look the part to keep the men at ease. Does John suspect as much? Or has he underestimated the young woman the way most men of the era overlooked the capability of women?
While The Isolate Thief goes through periods where the narrative is bogged down and slow, it’s never when Foy and Bean are together. The tension between them is a lot of fun, and Bean is just so damn good at being a devious prick that we can’t wait to see him get what’s coming to him. Foy has never had a performance this gritty or violent, and I’d be interested in seeing her do more stuff like this.
In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in female-driven Westerns, adding a new flavor to the male-dominated genre. The Isolate Thief is one of the better ones, with complex characters, strong performances from top to bottom, and compelling, high-stakes action that shows even during the Civil War some of the nastiest fighting is far away from the battlefield.
The Isolate Thief opens in theaters July 10th from Radial Entertainment.
