Ben Foster makes a brotherly conversation feel liable to turn ugly. We value the affection he keeps visible beneath the aggression, particularly in Hell or High Water, and the quieter acting that stops his volatile men becoming predictable.
Fi1m perspective
In Hell or High Water (2016), Ben Foster makes a conversation between brothers feel liable to become a quarrel. His Tanner Howard supplies the friction while Chris Pine's Toby gives their robberies a personal stake. Neither actor smooths over the disagreements, and the sense of two men who have been dealing with each other for years survives their immediate business. We warmed to them because the affection remained believable even when they were difficult company. David Mackenzie gets a persuasive performance from Foster by giving that aggression a brother to contend with.
The recurring Russell Corwin in Six Feet Under (2001) belongs to his earlier television work. His mid-2000s move towards supporting film roles brought the flamboyant outlaw Charlie Prince in 3:10 to Yuma (2007). The Messenger (2009) gave him a lead as returning veteran Will Montgomery, allowing more space for the vulnerability that accompanies his forcefulness. In Leave No Trace (2018), he plays a veteran living off-grid with his daughter and works much more quietly. Those parts are useful correctives to the expectation that he will spend every film threatening people.
Foster favours gesture and physical behaviour, sometimes cutting dialogue so that a character has less to explain. That suits the men under stress he often plays, though it puts considerable weight on how much he can communicate without speaking. His intensity can draw attention away from subtler material; casting him only to be alarming would encourage the least interesting use of it. In Hell or High Water, Pine has his own purpose and enough presence to push back, so Foster's volatility never becomes the only thing worth watching.
Taylor Sheridan's script occasionally spells out hardship that the faces and places have already made clear. The brothers are more convincing in their difficult conversations, where Foster and Pine establish a shared history without hurrying to make either man agreeable. That is a useful setting for an actor so often associated with extreme behaviour. Start with Tanner Howard, and pay at least as much attention to his brother.
Biography
Ben Foster is an American actor. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began acting as a teenager and appeared in the Disney Channel series Flash Forward (1996–97). He trained at the Interlochen Arts Camp and had early roles in films including Liberty Heights (1999) and Get Over It (2001).
Foster is known for his work in films such as The Punisher (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Lone Survivor (2013), Hell or High Water (2016), Warcraft (2016) and Leave No Trace (2018). He won an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in Hell or High Water. He had a recurring role as Russell Corwin in the HBO series Six Feet Under (2003–05) and received a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble cast.
