Ain’t Them Bodies Saints Review: A Good Old Fashioned Folk Song

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is like a Texan Bonnie and Clyde in the ’60s with a timeless universal theme and texture. Hazy afternoons, somber evenings, landscape shots of rural Texas, and a simple yet effective score give it a poetic look and feel.

While it is a romantic story, the film never delves into melodrama. It’s subtle and atmospheric. Rooney Mara is emotionally contained yet intriguing. Casey Affleck is capable enough. Keith Carradine gives his spare character nuance. Ben Foster gives a memorable performance as a good old fashion cop.

Emotionally evocative cinematography and solid casting performance aside, the film has a generic plot, thin characters, and a barely-there narrative. You’re thrown in the middle of the story where the characters finally get what’s coming for them.

Still, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a well-crafted movie that builds up into a gut-punching all-the-feels ending. David Lowery intended to make a movie that has a tone of a folk song and achieves exactly that.

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a familiar love song, but it’s affecting nonetheless.