History Film / HellOrHighWater

* ShortCon: The woman in the casino trying to seduce Toby might or might not be running a HoneyTrap to dig into his large stack of chips. At least Tanner was dead-sure she's pulling a quick one on his brother.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Tanner, an ex-convict who revels in the rush from robbing banks and constantly acts on impulse, versus Toby, who devises the plan and tries to keep Tanner reined in and focused on the goal.

* ForTheEvulz: Marcus speculates that Tanner committed the robberies primarily because he enjoyed it.

* InstantSeduction: At the casino, Tanner flirts with the hotel clerk. At night, he is shown having sex with a woman. In the morning, it is implied that the woman was the hotel clerk.

* TemptingFate: While laundering money in casino for the first time (which involves turning the stolen money into chips, sit inside for few hours and then turn them back into a clear cheque), Tanner takes a handful of chips and goes playing cards, declaring that "you can't lose in poker". [[spoiler: Subverted, as he ends up effortlessly [[ProfessionalGambler doubling the size of their stack during that night]] and simply walks away when he thinks enough time has passed]].

* AmoralAttorney: Albeit a sympathetic one; he advises the Howards on using the casino to launder their takings and establish a trust for Toby's sons, knowing full well what they're up to, because he's so disgusted with how the bank treated their mother.

* StaringContest: While playing poker, Tanner nonchalantly calls a Comanche man at the table "chief". It's clear he doesn't intend it as an insult, but the guy takes offense. Instead of going physical, both men exchange a few short quips and then stare each other down. Eventually Tanner backs down, though it's implied that it's motivated more by respect for the man and his culture than by fear.

** Tobys oldest osn also shows loyalty to him despite the estrangement, saying he won't; believe anything bad he hears about him.

* VillainousVirtues: Tanner is probably the most villainous character in the film, given his aggressive and often violent nature. Even so, he's both fearless and totally loyal to his family. He makes clear, early on, that he doesn't expect to get away with the robberies, but is willing to do it because his brother asked him to (and for the good of his nephews). [[spoiler:At the climax, he deliberately draws the police into a stand-off that he clearly can't survive, just to give his brother a chance to escape.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Howard brothers manage to achieve this status, even if by circumstances rather than making it part of their plan. Toby being NiceToTheWaiter, barely any force used, no dead bodies, well-planned heists, small sums of stolen money and even making sure to explain to a random patron they are not stealing his money, but what is insured by the bank all adds up. [[spoiler: But all bets are off once Tanner kills bank patrons during the last heist and then snipes out a Texas Ranger - by the time the story hits news, it's a case of botched bank job with four dead bodies over meager payoff]].

* MorallyBankruptBanker: While not extremely so, the fellow responsible for handling the loan payoff tries his best to weasel out of accepting the money in time. The employees in the banks getting held up, meanwhile, are never portrayed with any particular negativity. Toby actually benefits from this in the long run as [[spoiler: the bank has no desire to kick up a fuss about a loss of $40,000, not to mention his sudden mortgage payment, when the trust he sets up with them is bringing in more than that every month. This helps Toby escape arrest.]]

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Both brothers are well aware their actions will catch up to them. Tanner even states there's no such thing as clean getaways. Subverted in that they clearly aren't trying to get away with it, they only need to accomplish their goal before they're caught.

* HoneyTrap: When a woman approaches Toby at a casino bar, with thousands of dollars worth of chips in full view, Tanner runs her off, assuming she's there to either rob or extort him. It's left ambiguous what her intentions were. (Given that Toby is played by ChrisPine, it's not entirely impossible that she was legitimately hitting on him.)

* StaringContest: While playing poker, Tanner nonchalantly calls a fellow player "chief", with absolutely zero ill intentions. The guy in question is a big, gruff Comanche who gets offended by this remark and stops Tanner when he's done with cards. Instead of going physical, both men exchange a few short quips and then just stare each other in the eyes, despite Tanner being half a head shorter. Eventually Tanner walks away, this being the only time he backs down from anyone.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: While Tanner is a bit of a loose cannon, his and Toby’s bank robbing spree is motivated by sympathetic intentions. Against them are Marcus and Alberto, two Texas Rangers who are just doing their job and happen to be very good at it.

** No-one speaks very fondly of Mrs. Howard. Both her son, Tanner, and her former daughter-in-law basically tell Toby "good riddance" to his face. Toby waits weeks to even tell most of his family, including her grandsons, that she passed away.

* HoneyTrap: Tanner feels the woman at the bar hitting on Toby is doing this, sidling up to him with his stack of thousands in chips in plain view. There is an indication she is at the very least a prostitute.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Toby masterminded a plan that involved a number of armed robberies, and resulted in several deaths. At the end, he successfully finishes what he set out to do. Though he clearly did not expect to also escape being locked up for what he did.]]

* LastStand: [[spoiler: Tanner mounts one on a hilltop after separating from Toby and leading the cops and Rangers on a wild goose chase. He dies, but Toby escapes with the money.]]

Pine and Foster play Toby and Tanner Howard, two brothers who turn to robbing banks to pay off the note on their family's land after their mother's death. When the FBI declines to lead the investigation, it falls to Texas Rangers Marcus Hamilton (Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) to track them down.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: In his final seconds Tanner realises Marcus is taking aim at him from the flank. Rather than trying to move, duck or take his own shot, he just chuckles for the last time]].

''Hell or High Water'' is a 2016 drama directed by Creator/DavidMackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan, starring Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/ChrisPine and Creator/BenFoster.

''Hell or High Water'' is a 2016 drama directed by Creator/DavidMackenzie, starring Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/ChrisPine and Creator/BenFoster.

This is the second in Creator/TaylorSheridan's thematic trilogy about the NewOldWest, along with ''Film/{{Sicario}}'' and ''Film/WindRiver''.

''Hell or High Water'' is a 2016 drama directed by David Mackenzie, starring Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/ChrisPine and Creator/BenFoster.

This is the second in Creator/TaylorSheridan's thematic trilogy about the NewOldWest, along with {{Film/Sicario}} and Film/WindRiver.

* TheLastStand: [[spoiler: Tanner mounts one on a hilltop after separating from Toby and leading the cops and Rangers on a wild goose chase. He dies, but Toby escapes with the money.]]

* DuctTapeForEverything: Tanner uses it to stick two clips together for faster reload [[spoiler: and then to patch Toby's wound]].

* GrayAndGreyMorality: While Tanner is a bit of a loose cannon, his and Toby’s bank robbing spree is motivated by sympathetic intentions. Against them are Marcus and Alberto, two Texas Rangers who are just doing their job but happen to be very good at it.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Marcus and Alberto.

* GoingNative / MightyWhitey: Tanner is affected by a mild version of this; he's a big admirer of the Comanche Indians, and the only person he displays any sexual interest in is a [[RaceFetish Native American woman]] working at the casino. He appears to see himself as a modern-day member of the tribe, or at least their equivalent.
* HeroAntagonist: Marcus Hamilton is in charge of investigating the robberies committed by [[AntiVillain the Howard brothers]].

* GoingNative / MightyWhitey: Tanner is affected by a mild version of this; he's a big admirer of the Comanche Indians (and the only person he displays any sexual interest in is a [[RaceFetish with a Native American woman]] working at the casino) and appears to see himself as a modern-day member of the tribe.

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Downplayed with Marcus, who constantly makes racist jokes at his partners expense but is clearly just trying to get a rise out of him.

* ShoutOut: Tanner's line "I never met nobody got away with anything" may be one to ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen,'' which not only also was set in West Texas, but who's tag line was [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/taglines "There are no clean getaways"]].
* StaringContest: While playing poker, Tanner nonchalantly calls a fellow player "chief", with absolutely zero ill intentions. The guy in question is big, gruffly Comanche that gets offended by this remark and stops Tanner when he's done with cards. Instead of going physical, both men exchange few short quips and then just stare each other in the eyes, despite Tanner being half head shorter. Eventually Tanner walks away, being the only time he backed down.
* TemptingFate: While laundering money in casino for the first time (which involves turning the stolen money into chips, sit inside for few hours and then turn them back into a clear cheque), Tanner takes a handful of chips and goes playing cards, declaring that "you can't lose in poker". [[spoiler: Subverted, as he ends up effortlessly [[ProfessionalGambler doubling the size of their stack during that night]] and simply walks away when he thinks enough time have passed]].
* ThickerThanWater: Despite being clearly estranged from his ex-wife and sons while also owing them alimony, Toby does a series of heists to [[spoiler: pay the mortgage on his farm and set his family for life thanks to a lease from the oil company]]. And Tanner helps him with all of that due to being his brother, being fully aware [[spoiler: they both won't make a cent out of it and might end up dead or with at least lenghty prison sentence]].

* GrayAndGreyMorality: While Tanner is a bit of a loose cannon, both brothers are motivated by noble means (Toby more so, admittedly). Against them are Marcus and Alberto, two Texas Rangers who are just doing their job but happen to be very good at it.