Uriah43 This film starts out with a band of desperadoes led by "Blackjack Britton" (Eric Roberts) who decide to rob the bank in a town called "Sweetwater". What they don't anticipate is that while they are robbing the bank the U.S. Cavalry happens to also ride into town. A gunfight ensues and the bandits hightail it out of town as fast as they can with a large posse chasing after them. The further they ride the more desperate they become and eventually lose all of the money they had stolen. Then they encounter a dust storm and when they finally ride through it they come upon a town called "Refuge" which is well off the beaten path. At first they decide to keep a low profile but then they notice that nobody in the town is armed. Not content with simply accepting the town's hospitality they soon decide to force themselves upon it. But what they don't realize is that this is no ordinary town. And the townsfolk are not run-of-the-mill people either. Anyway, rather than disclosing the mystery of the movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this is not an ordinary western. The acting is decent and Amelia Heinie (as "Rose") certainly lent some nice scenery. But what made this film so unusual was the unique storyline which was quite intriguing. All things considered then, although the end was somewhat predictable the movie managed to keep my attention for the most part and I rate it as slightly better than average.

kenzokeith I found this movie to be an unexpected letdown. The premise and cast seemed promising enough, but the script wasn't able to deliver. It's interesting to point out that although I was initially unaware that it was a made-for-TV movie, halfway through it felt like I was watching Wifetime. The film is littered with clichés, inconsistencies, and unanswered questions. For instance, when the first gang member was killed (presumably by god) for attempting murder, why weren't the rest treated the same way? In fact, with that precedent (that the townspeople were protected by god), there wouldn't have been anywhere for the story to go. So why was that scene even included? And why would being innocently killed by the gang cause the sheriff to go to hell? But, despite the obvious problem areas, this film should be moderately enjoyable for the Western lover.

Paul Andrews Purgatory starts is set in the old Wild West where Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts) & his gang rob a bank in a town, soldiers unexpectedly show up & after a shoot-out that leaves both soldiers & some of the bank robbers dead Blackjack & his gang flee the town with an angry posse in hot pursuit. Blackjack & his gang without rest & eventually come across the small town of Refuge where no-one carries a gun, even Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepherd) & his Deputy (Donnie Wahlberg) are unarmed. Blackjack & his gang see Refuge as easy prey, they intend to rest up there for a while & then rob the place when they leave. Howeversomething about Refuge isn't quite right, why are the townsfolk so peaceful? Why are there no guns? Why do so many of the townsfolk resemble famous dead outlaws?Made for & originally shown on telly (by the TNT Network) this fantasy Western was directed by Uli Edel & while the premise of an old American Wild West town that acts as a half way stop for dead criminals who during their lives at least had some humanity to prove that themselves fit to enter Heaven rather than spend eternity in Hell doesn't exactly sound brilliant I was surprised at how good Purgatory was. Don't get me wrong though, Purgatory isn't any sort of forgotten masterpiece or even approaching that but as a quirky little oddball mix of genres & styles I did like it. The character's are strong here, by the time the final stand-off came & the final shoot-out blasted into action I was really into the offbeat story & likable character's. Various famous Wild West outlaws are featured, Jesse James, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid & Wild Bill Hickock all make an appearance & are seen trying to save themselves from spending eternity in Hell but to do so they must spend ten years in Refuge & not so much as lift a gun let alone use one. The story unfolds gradually, we learn little bits & pieces at a time rather than one big reveal which is alright but once the town's secret does finally come out the films almost over & we haven't had that big twist where the whole story is thrown up in the air so the final realisation is maybe a little flatter than it could have been. Also there's no real explanation why Refuge is out in the middle of the desert or if the townsfolk are already dead how they can be killed again by Blackjack & his gang. At 90 odd minutes long it doesn't outstay it's welcome & there's enough time for the story to take shape & unfold.Some may be put off by the lack of action or horror elements, there's a couple of shoot-outs but nothing amazing. The film has really good production values, the sets & costumes & effects are really good with shots like dozens of men on horseback riding along firing guns although there is a silly CGI computer effect at the end which seems very at odds with the old Wild West setting. Despite featuring several real historical figures Purgatory obviously makes no serious attempt to be factual or realistic.Very well made with a rock solid cast of pros including Eric Roberts, Sam Shepherd, Randy Quaid, Peter Stormare & Donnie Wahlberg while Purgatory was one of the last feature film appearance's by R.G. Armstrong. The cast all give good performances.Purgatory is a surprisingly entertaining & sometimes touching little fantasy Western that really had no right to be as good as it is, on paper it sounds like a disaster but in reality Purgatory is a good solid offbeat film that won't appeal to all but is much better than many would expect.

lost-in-limbo After committing a bank robbery, a large group of outlaws led by Blackjack Britton are on the run. So Britton leads his men across the desert, which they come across a quiet little town called Purgatory, where the strange locals don't carry guns, or even curse, but they really make them welcome. This very helpful gesture spurs Britton to stir up a racket and take over the town, but one of his men, a young wannabe, Sonny, doesn't share Britton's idea and he finds himself picking up some unusual hints of something otherworldly about the town and its inhabitants.What a nice surprise the cable TV movie, "Purgatory", actually turned out to be. It's far from your conventional western. Well, there's some formulaic western stakes within it, but it does have a weird novelty behind it that wouldn't feel out-of-place in a "Twilight Zone" episode. This unique sprinkle and along with a appealing cast made it a very engrossing and delightful viewing, despite that it's pretty much a sleeper when building up the story and the mysterious twist engulfing the presentation forces itself on us too suddenly and rather obviously. I could go on about the whole twist and the story has a few layers to peel off, but its better to just know that it involves a group of outlaws who have made names for themselves. Like Bill Hicock, Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Doc Holliday. Now that's a great line-up! The story kind a follows a redemption angle, where it's all about choice and a chance to make good, but despite this option there are temptations you must face, before accepting your fate. Gladly none of it becomes too overwrought. There are some creative juices flowing here amongst a very solid looking production. The film opens and closes with thrilling and well-staged gunfights. Dynamic wise, the fruitful cast gel impeccably well, involving the likes of Eric Roberts killing it, as Blackjack Britton and then you got Brad Rowe as the naïve Sonny. Peter Stonmore gives a stand-out performance as the crackpot sidekick of Britton, Cavin. Some of the town's folk you see kicking back are played by Randy Quaid, Sam Elliott, Donnie Wahlberg, J.D. Souther and the stunning Amelia Heinle. What got me more than anything, was the production was very well mounted with smoothly displayed photography that captured the vastness and close details that sprawled along the screen and a sulky, fine-tuned score that created an eerie howl, really does lift it out of the very stuffy mould of TV features.A very curious piece that just doesn't go anywhere big with its fascinating concept, but still it's surely entertaining.