The Hero may not be heavy on tumbleweeds or arrows sunken into 10-gallon hats, but it’s a Western nonetheless. Instead of roundin’ up a posse or bringin’ in the herd, its cowboy (played to salt and pepper perfection by Sam Elliott) spends his days getting baked with Nick Offerman and reminiscing about his dust-covered heyday. It’s an absolutely magnificent movie. Sad and hilarious and thoughtful in its celebration of what adds up to a single human life.

That’s why it made our list of the best of Sundance 2017. Fortunately for the fine BBQ-stuffed folks at SXSW, they’ll get a chance to see the film for themselves starting tonight. The Austin crowd should also hold onto their butts because Nick Offerman and co-writer/director Brett Haley will be on the live taping of Maltin on Movies at our SXSW activation at Bangers on Saturday, March 11th at 12PM local time talking about The Hero.

The good news for everyone else is that you don’t have to be at SXSW to check out this beautiful poster we got our hands on:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott) is an aging Western icon with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking too much weed with his former-co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy (Nick Offerman), until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes up an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte (Laura Prepon), and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy (Krysten Ritter), all while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.

What do you think? Does Sam Elliott’s voice sound more like gravel dipped in molten gold or like honey poured over sandpaper? Tell us in the comments section.

The Hero hits NY and LA on June 9th and will expand to other theaters in the following weeks.

Images: Park Pictures

The best Sundance 2017 movies you need to see