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“Rust,” the Alec Baldwin-starring Western film that garnered attention in 2021 for an accidental on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, is finally getting a pared back release Friday after it was completed to honor Hutchins’ final work, though some critics have labeled the film a difficult watch.
Key Facts
“Rust” opens in theaters Friday—but its rollout is notably limited, with zero showtimes in New York City and few in Los Angeles, typically the biggest markets for moviegoing, according to showtimes listed on Fandango.
The film is also simultaneously being released for purchase on on demand services like Amazon Prime Video, according to The New York Times, which cited representatives for the film stating the distribution plan was created to maximize profits for Hutchins’ family.
The film’s promotional cycle has been quiet, as the cast and crew have avoided giving press interviews, though director Joel Souza spoke with The Guardian earlier this week, stating he initially could not have imagined completing the film after Hutchins’ death, but her “family wanted it completed.”
The movie, which first premiered at the Camerimage festival in Poland last year, a festival honoring achievement in cinematography, is dedicated to Hutchins and displays her name second in the credits after Souza, in both Ukrainian, to honor her family, and English.
What Are Critics Saying About “rust?”
“Rust” received mostly mixed to negative reviews from critics, with some questioning why the film was completed, though critics praised Hutchins’ cinematography. The Guardian gave the movie a two-star review, calling it a “tough slog,” stating it mostly serves to show “how good Hutchins was at her job,” while criticizing the rest of the film as “poorly acted and overly long.” The Daily Beast critic Nick Schager said there is “no escaping reminders of Hutchins throughout Rust,” citing the abundance of guns in the film and characters expressing guilt for irreversible actions, as well as the “impressive” cinematography. New York Times critic Manohla Dargis called the movie a “deeply depressing coda to an appalling and entirely preventable tragedy,” stating the only justification for its release is that Hutchins’ family will receive profits. In a more positive review, USA TODAY critic Brian Truitt said the film “finds beauty amid tragedy,” crediting Hutchins and replacement cinematographer Bianca Cline, stating “the overall cinematic life that ‘Rust’ conjures is exceptional.”
Are “rust” Legal Proceedings Still Ongoing?
Yes. Baldwin, whose involuntary manslaughter charges were dismissed in July after a judge said prosecutors withheld evidence, filed a lawsuit in New Mexico court in January alleging malicious prosecution and civil rights violations, claiming prosecutors in his case “sought at every turn to scapegoat Baldwin for the acts and omissions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law.” Baldwin also faces several civil lawsuits brought by crew members and the Hutchins family. Three crew members sued Baldwin, accusing him of pulling the trigger of the live prop gun (which Baldwin has denied) and alleging they suffered injuries by being near the gun when it fired, citing the “deafening” noise of the blast. The Hutchins family filed, and soon settled, a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin, before filing additional lawsuits alleging negligence. The Hutchins family said in March they intend to depose Baldwin on May 9 for their ongoing civil suit. “It is long overdue for him to testify under oath about what really happened that caused the death,” Gloria Allred, a lawyer representing the Hutchins family, said in a statement.
Key Background
Hutchins was shot and killed at age 42 on Oct. 21, 2021, during production on “Rust” when a prop gun discharged and struck Hutchins in the chest, also striking Souza in the shoulder. Baldwin was holding the gun while it discharged, and his attorneys have argued in court that he did not pull the trigger, though an FBI forensic report from the set found the gun could not have been fired without the trigger being pulled. Production was immediately suspended after Hutchins was killed, though filming eventually resumed in 2023 after Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charge was first dropped (he was later indicted on the same charge before it was dropped again). Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins was made executive producer on the resumed set, stating he wanted to “pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.” The decision to resume production attracted some controversy, and several anonymous crew members criticized the decision in interviews with Variety, with one stating: “I absolutely would want nothing to do with it. It was traumatizing across the board.”
Further Reading
Why the ‘Rust’ director finished the movie — and left out its tragic scene (The Washington Post)
‘I wish I’d never written that damn movie’: Rust director Joel Souza on finishing his film after the fatal on-set shooting (The Guardian)
Alec Baldwin to Be Deposed in Lawsuit From Halyna Hutchins’ Family Over ‘Rust’ Shooting (The Hollywood Reporter)
