Diablo tells the story of a Civil War veteran named Jackson whose wife is kidnapped by a group of supposed bandits. When Jackson ventures forth to reclaim his wife, he must travel the badlands of the Western wilderness and avoid falling prey to killers, Native American Indians and his own inner demons. As he travels along his journey, secrets are revealed while lives are at stake.
Scott Eastwood, son of Clint, does a solid job as the troubled husband searching for his wife in the film. His portrayal as Jackson fits the character well when he plays into scenes where he is meant to be in over his head. Jackson is tormented by his past history from fighting and killing during the Civil War. The character is rife with conflict and often gets into more than dangerous situations. His work fits the narrative and complements where the story goes.
When Jackson begins his journey to find his wife, he comes across a dark and evil seeming character played by Walton Goggins named Ezra. The initial exchange is brief between these two, but we are given reason to believe there is more going on underneath the surface with our hero. Jackson continues on, only to be injured then healed by an Indian tribe who during a ceremony, discovers something dangerous lurking deep within Jackson. As he gets closer to his goal, we see that there is a reason why our main character always seems to leave a trail of bodies in his wake.
Diablo is not a perfect Western by any means, but the film is certainly watchable if not for the intensity of the twist ending. Scott Eastwood may come across as weak in the beginning of the film, but in the final act he does great work as a brutal and imposing force on screen. Great supporting performances from Walton Goggins, Adam Beach and Danny Glover certainly make this one worth seeing. Diablo is a fine contemporary to all the great Westerns out now.
Hawkins’ Rating: 
Out of a Possible 5 Stars
