Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) is serving time in a Nevada prison for a violent crime he committed. While in prison, Roman has become a person that embraces solitude. Through no wishes of his own, he ends up on a work detail cleaning up after a stable of wild mustangs currently housed at the prison. Mild curiosity in these powerful beasts ends up landing Roman in the prison’s rehabilitation program, which ultimately serves a source of income and helps keeps this program going. Under the watchful eye of Myles (Bruce Dern), who heads the program, and under the tutelage of a fellow inmate named Henry (Jason Mitchell), some sense of purpose and salvation might be reached for the always-grim Roman. We often find the thing we need most when we’re not looking for it.
In terms of success, The Mustang does the important things right. Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre tells a moving story while letting his camera capture all of the intangibles with nice tight shots. Matthias Schoenaerts gives an inspiring performance full of emotion and determination. Audiences will feel the anger radiating from the screen and eventually, they will experience the driven side to a man who is finally willing to put something else before his own needs. Then there’s the animals. These wild mustangs are a pleasure to watch as the gallop and trot their way into your hearts. And the fact that runtime is roughly only 95 minutes, the focus is kept short and to the point. “Inspirational true stories” tend to come in much, much longer.
On the other side of the coin, in keeping with its compacted storytelling, there are a few aspects of the plot that are glazed over which ends up leaving you feeling like you’ve missed something here and there. The balance isn’t perfect but it’s better than the three hour alternative. The story is compelling enough to keep your interest and the emotion exhibited feels real enough to give you the feels. Matthias Schoenaerts deserves high marks, as do the supporting team. Jason Mitchell and Bruce Dern also contribute in giving this offering a better than average chance at succeeding with their performances. Overall, The Mustang provides more to like than dislike and you’ll probably learn a thing or two about caring for these majestic creatures. See it in select theaters now.
