Old Henry is a 2021 American western action drama film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. It stars Tim Blake Nelson in the lead role as the titular character Henry, a widowed farmer living peacefully with his teenage son Wyatt (Gavin Lewis) in Oklahoma Territory in 1906.
The film opens with Henry and Wyatt finding an injured man named Curry (Scott Haze) lying in the field, shot and left for dead. Curry has a bag filled with cash and seems to be on the run from someone. Henry decides to bring Curry home to treat his wounds, hiding the bag of cash for the time being.
Later that night, a group of three men led by Sheriff Sam Ketchum (Stephen Dorff) arrives at Henry’s farm looking for Curry. They claim Curry is a dangerous outlaw with rewards out for his capture. Henry refuses to give Curry up, distrusting the men. After the men leave, Henry begins to suspect Curry is not who he claims to be either.
The next day, the three men return, revealing their true colors as outlaws. A shootout ensues with Henry surprisingly showing exceptional gun skills he had kept hidden. As the smoke clears, Curry holds Henry at gunpoint, also not being who he seemed.
In his dying moments, Henry reveals to Wyatt that he is actually the legendary outlaw Billy the Kid and had been hiding away from his past. Wyatt shoots Curry, but Henry succumbs to his wounds shortly after. The film ends with Wyatt burying his father and riding off into the sunset with the bag of cash.
Old Henry Ending Explained
Throughout the film, Henry is portrayed as a simple farmer raising his son Wyatt in seclusion. However, there are small hints that he has a dangerous past he is keeping secret. Wyatt discovers newspaper clippings related to outlaws of the past and recognizes his father’s gun skills, but Henry refuses to open up about his history.
The ending reveal shows that Henry’s true identity is that of the famous gunslinger Billy the Kid. Years ago, Billy had supposedly been killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett. But as Henry reveals, the death was staged with Garrett’s assistance to allow Billy to escape his violent past.
Henry explains he had hoped to live the rest of his life peacefully hiding away. But by taking in Curry and going against Ketchum’s men, he had no choice but to take up arms once more, leading to his demise.
The ending leaves of Old Henry Wyatt to carry on after burying the man who raised him. Wyatt heads off with the bag of cash taken off Curry’s body, the inheritance his outlaw father left behind, and perhaps an indication he may follow in Billy the Kid’s footsteps himself.
Is Old Henry Based on a True Story?
No, Old Henry is not based on a true story. The 2021 western film is an original fictional work written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. While the movie aims for historical accuracy in its depiction of frontier life in 1906 Oklahoma Territory, the specific plot about a widowed farmer revealed to be the outlaw Billy the Kid hiding away from his past is the product of imagination rather than real events.
In interviews, director Ponciroli has shared that he pulled from his own upbringing and family history when crafting the narrative. He wanted to explore the lengths a father would go to shelter his son from a violent past life.
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So in summary, while Henry presents himself as an average farmer, his elite shooting skills and eventual confession expose his true identity as the wanted criminal Billy the Kid. His desire to shelter his son from that violent past ultimately fails, as Wyatt witnesses his father’s death firsthand.
