Why So Blu?

The Unholy Trinity (Blu-ray Review)

The Unholy Trinity rides into view as a dusty Western with big-name charisma—and not just the kind that dazzles, but the kind that makes you squint and ask, “Really?” Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson bring swagger and grit to a story that’s all revenge, secrets, and buried gold in 1870s Montana. It’s a film that looks good, shifts gears a bit too slowly at times, and throws a lot—sometimes too much—at the viewer. In short: entertaining enough, but rough around the edges.

Film

Plot Summary

The story begins at the gallows, with outlaw Isaac Broadway pleading with his estranged son Henry (Brandon Lessard) to avenge him by hunting down the man who framed him. That grim request sends Henry to the small Montana town of Trinity, where the past still festers and danger hangs in the air. Sheriff Gabriel Dove (Pierce Brosnan) tries to talk sense into him, warning that chasing old ghosts never ends well, but the town quickly pulls Henry into its tangled web. A saloon shooting leads to false accusations, a mysterious drifter named St. Christopher (Samuel L. Jackson) stirs trouble while offering cryptic guidance, and the promise of stolen Confederate gold lures out every schemer in sight. By the time the final shootout rolls around, allegiances have shifted, lies have been exposed, and Henry has to decide whether he’ll be defined by vengeance or something bigger.

Pacing & Structure

The pacing is uneven, with a promising opening that sets the stage but stalls in its follow-through. The film lingers too long in early exposition and doesn’t fully find its stride until the midpoint. When it does click, though—through gunfights, standoffs, and tense confrontations—the energy picks up and gives the movie a pulse. Structurally, it feels overstuffed, juggling too many threads and characters at once. At times, it’s more tangled than taut, and that keeps the momentum from flowing as cleanly as it could.

Directing

Richard Gray’s direction gets the look right. Montana’s sweeping ridges, sun-drenched plains, and dusty streets are captured with a painterly eye that feels tailor-made for a Western. The action is staged with clarity and weight, the kind of old-school shoot-’em-up energy that’s satisfying to watch. Where the film stumbles is in tone—those quiet moments that should deepen the story often feel rushed or undercooked. It’s as if the movie can’t decide whether it wants to be a gritty morality tale or a pulpy action flick, and the split personality keeps it from ever settling in.

Cast & Acting

Brosnan is easily the film’s anchor, slipping into the sheriff role with a mix of weathered wisdom and wry humor that makes every scene he’s in just a little steadier. Jackson is the wild card, chewing through dialogue with that signature energy, unpredictable and sly. His presence lights up the screen but sometimes threatens to tip into distraction, as if he’s in a different, livelier movie. Lessard, in the central role of Henry, gives it an honest effort but struggles to match the gravity of his co-stars. His performance leans earnest but doesn’t always sell the arc from lost son to hardened avenger. The supporting cast does their part to flesh out the town, though they mostly stay within stock Western grooves.

Visuals

Visually, the film is its own reward. The wide shots of open country have a postcard quality, the saloons and back alleys are soaked in dust and grit, and the period details feel authentic enough to keep you grounded in the setting. Occasionally it all looks a little too polished for the rough frontier, but there’s no denying the film knows how to frame a sunset or a tense face-off at high noon.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What works best here are the performances from Brosnan and Jackson, who elevate the material and make even slow stretches worth watching. The visuals give the film a sense of scope and atmosphere, and when the action hits, it lands with enough impact to satisfy Western fans. The weaknesses, though, are hard to ignore: an overstuffed plot that muddies the story, pacing that sputters before finding momentum, and a lead performance that can’t quite carry the emotional weight of the journey. The film feels torn between being a character-driven Western and a pulpy gold-hunt adventure, and in trying to be both, it never fully becomes either.

Final Thoughts

The Unholy Trinity isn’t destined to be a classic, but it has moments where it shines. Thanks to Brosnan’s gravitas, Jackson’s firecracker unpredictability, and the beauty of the Montana backdrop, it’s worth a watch for anyone who has a soft spot for six-shooters and dusty duels. Still, it’s the kind of Western that plays better as a late-night stream than a genre-defining experience. A mixed bag for sure, but not without its charms.

Take a peak at another Samuel L. Jackson western reviewed HERE

Video  

Encoding: MPEG-4/AVC

Resolution: 1080P

Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity/Detail: While my feelings for The Unholy Trinity as a film are mixed, my thoughts on its visuals are anything but.  Filmed on location in Montana, the film makes the most of its location by filming it tremendously well. Vistas showcasing incredible nature really hold things to exceptional standards visually.  Clarity is second to none, especially since we’ll be getting no 4K disc.  Detailing on faces, clothing, interiors and exteriors are all perfection as well.  There is not a single gripe to make about this excellent looking HD transfer.

Depth: The movie has been digitally filmed, but camera focus and movement is fluid and shows the richness of the film shoot.  Foreground and background shots look pristine with no degradation as the focus shifts.

Black Levels: Black levels go dark enough to reach the depths, but never once do they get to crush levels.

Color Reproduction: The color palette here is one that is vast.  Primarily we see at first many grey and brown tones, but fiery oranges and reds come into play, and as we see more of the outdoor location, we are treated to further greens, blues and snowy whites.  Overall the color reproduction is splendid.

Skin Tones: Flesh tones are perfect.

Noise/Artifacts: None

Audio

Audio Format(s): English DTS HD-MA 5.1, English Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio

Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

Dynamics: While The Unholy Trinity is a gorgeous looking film, the sound design is a simpler affair. Much more front heavy and dialogue driven than you may think, the surround channels and subwoofer are more subtly used.  This is by design, so it just depends on your feelings on how westerns should sound on whether you’ll be disappointed by this or not.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: Bass shows up for some of the more elevated western action scenes.  Gunfire, horse hooves and the occasional fire make some oomph happen, but it’s not a lot of the runtime.

Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds are mostly all ambience.  A rowdy road house, a quiet canyon, and the echoes of sparse nature are just a few things you may hear in these channels.

Dialogue: Dialogue is perfectly front and center at all times.

Extras

NONE. A Digital Code is included.

Summary

The Unholy Trinity could have been a lot more than the end result.  The three leads show a commitment to their roles that’s refreshing and wonderful, but they feel like they’re wasting their time with a tired script that has a lot of stops and starts.  The film is one that feels destined for random watches on streaming, when people see the lead actors’ floating heads on the poster as they scroll titles on their favorite service.  Technical merits for the disc are fine, but the lack of features shows a lack of faith on the studio regarding the film’s quality.  If you’re curious, a rental or stream may be the way to go.

Buy The Unholy Trinity HERE