The Wonderful World of DTV: Jesse V. Johnson's Thieves Highway (2026)

With no real fanfare, it was almost a fluke that I stumbled upon director Jesse V. Johnson’s latest Thieves Highway (2025). Being a fan of Johnson, I did know some information about the film’s production, but it was only by chance that I found myself noticing that it had been given its premier in the UK through Sky Cinema. While not a platform I regularly use, seeing as it was a new Johnson film, I just had to. 

Sharing its title with Jules Dassin’s fantastic 1949 film Noir, Johnson’s latest is a modern day western that shines a light on a crime that I had assumed had died out, cattle rustling. The opening informs us that it costs the cattle industry millions every year, with thefts currently being at a record high.  

The script, from Western aficionado Travis Mills, doesn’t waste any time getting into the plot. Aaron Eckhart plays Frank Bennet, an officer from the Oklahoma Dept of Agriculture. After a fellow officer is brutally beaten and left for dead, Frank finds himself facing off against a deadly group of cattle rustlers. Outnumbered and with seemingly no one to turn to, Frank will have to use all his wits in order to stay alive and bring these rustlers to justice.  

Like its writer, Johnson clearly has a love for the Western. I have heard him in several interviews speaking about some of the great works from the likes of Raoul Walsh, Budd Boetticker and Sam Peckinpah. Although set in modern times, it has an old school sensibility that makes it comparable to those directors mentioned. 

Very much like the works of Budd Boetticher, Thieves Highway is a small-scale affair, coming in at just over 80 minutes. Where Boetticher normally had Randolph Scott in the lead, Johnson has a suitably stoic Arron Eckhart, who is very much in the Scott mould. Unlike their last collaboration Chief of Station (2024), where Eckhart was every inch the action hero, his character here is more of an everyman. While tough and courageous, you get the impression he is somewhat out of his depth when faced with this type of criminal. 

The criminals are led by a crazed Devon Sawa who has no compunction about killing, whether they be the law or otherwise. His ruthlessness is demonstrated early on with the brutal beating of Eckhart’s fellow lawman, leaving him partially paralyzed and blind in one eye. This is a particularly effective scene as the lawman is played by DTV regular Johnny Messner.  With his appearance I was expecting him to be more involved in the plot, so it came as something of a shock to see him get so swiftly dispatched. It would appear that Messner was uncredited for his role, but his small number of scenes are particularly effective, not only showing the extremes Sawa and his crew will go to but also the toll this life has on the officers expected to uphold the law. 

Getting back to Sawa and company, they aren’t exactly shown to be master criminals, using blunt force whenever necessary. They may not have much in character development, but they all do well in their respective roles. Ronnie Gene Blevins, who is supposedly Sawa’s right hand man, is his usual dependable self, with him eventually coming across more pitiful than anything else. If anything, his “girlfriend” played by Lucy Martin is more ruthless and cold blooded than he could ever wish to be. Martin does so well in her role that you will be hoping that someone ends up dealing with her. This marks Martin’s second film under Johnson, with her previously appearing in the classic Boudica (2023). 

Backing up Eckhart is the always welcome Lochlyn Munro, who seems to excel in this type of role, that of the loyal friend/sidekick. Sure, his character isn’t particularly original. As soon as Munro mentioned retirement I knew we wouldn’t be spending much longer with him, but still he still manages to make the most of his time that you feel something when his death comes. 

Being a smaller scale story, the level of action suitably follows suit. There aren’t any elaborate set pieces, with the action being more short and sharp. The film is all the better for this type of approach, with the action being more hard hitting when it comes. Johnson employs regular collaborator Luke LaFontaine to assist in choreographing the various action scenes peppered throughout the film. There are the obligatory shootouts and fistfights, which are typically well handled, with Johnson never being one to shy away from showing bloody violence. 

The level of violence of course could be seen as a homage to Sam Peckinpah, but anyone with any knowledge of Peckinpah's work would know there's more to him than just blood and guts. The same is true of Johnson, that while he makes sure to show the impact of violence, he also makes it clear that this isn't the point of the film. 

Importantly, Johnson shows the repercussions of said violence. One perfectly acted scene has Eckhart forced to shoot down one the rustlers. Rather than some heroic bloodshed moment, Johnson instead shows the ugliness of the event, with it taking a while for the rustler to die, with his fear being perfectly demonstrated by the actor (I haven’t mentioned the actor as it would be a major spoiler). Counter to this is the shame shown in Eckhart’s face at what he has done. 

There is even dialogue in the film lifted straight from Peckinpah’s masterpiece Ride the High Country (1962), where one character speaks about “wanting to enter their house justified”. While it may be lifted from that film, it is very much applicable in Johnson’s film, with Eckhart and others feeling it increasingly difficult to stay just in what seems to be a lawless society. 

Like the  best Jesse V. Johnson films, Thieves Highway features a score from the perpetually underrated Sean Murray. I honestly don’t know how this guy isn’t working on larger scale features, but thankfully that means he is still available to contribute scores like this. Thieves Highway may not be his best but its still quality work from Murray and perfectly matches the style of the film. 

Those who only know Jesse V. Johnson through his work with Scott Adkins could be disappointed that Thieves Highway is quite different from the martial arts crackers they collaborated on. However, this is still quality filmmaking and shows yet again what can be achieved on a low budget. Due to my love of westerns, I love what Johnson has craeted with Thieves Highway, but even those who weren’t brought up on the genre should find a lot to enjoy here. Also, at just over 80 minutes, what do you have to lose? 

As is the norm for Johnson, he has multiple films coming up. Above and Below which stars Antonio Banderas and personal favourite Louis Mandylor is already in Post production, with him having others planned. He also has the upcoming Mexicali (2026) which is directed by the previously mentioned Luke Lafontaine and stars martial arts extraordinaire Bren Foster. 

Eckhart is similarly busy. Surprisingly he has a sequel coming for his canine related thriller Muzzle (2023), suitably titled Muzzle: City of Wolves (2025). He has also re-teamed with his The Bricklayer (2023) director Renny Harlin for Deep Water (2026), a shark related actioner. Clearly he and Harlin have enjoyed working together as they already have another planned after this, the sci-fi movie Trial by Combat.

Rating: 4/5