Alex Cox has always done things his way and with what is marketed as his final film: “Dead Souls” is an interesting interplay on the notion of reality and the con. Made on a shoestring in the middle of Spain, it pays tribute to the spaghetti westerns but with a character called Strindler who wanders in like a bad tax accountant and stirs up trouble, the play is about what we believe. Cox himself plays the man with an earnestness but also a mysteriousness that never really comes to bear but also delivers in many ways.

Nicolas Cage's previous western ("Butcher's Crossing" -- which played at TIFF 22) was a different animal of sorts that was more existential. His new entry "The Old Way" is more classic but more dynamic with a much more edged performance as well as better pacing and accessibility.

Despite some restrictions but a stellar performance by Tim Blake Nelson made even more so as the layers are unraveled, "Old Henry" is old school and yet delivers its goods with both stakes, time and focus.