Four years after the on-set death of its cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, the independent western “Rust” has received a limited theatrical release this weekend alongside a home release on video on-demand. But the film has gone largely ignored, grossing just $25,000 from 115 theaters.
“Rust” stars Baldwin as Harland Rust, a wanted outlaw who comes out of hiding to rescue his estranged grandson, who is sentenced to death for accidentally killing a rancher. 26 reviews have been logged for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 42% score.
In 2021, Hutchins was killed when Baldwin, who co-wrote and produced the film along with starring in it, accidentally discharged a gun he thought had blanks inside while rehearsing a scene. The live round struck Hutchins and also wounded director Joel Souza.
Prop armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Baldwin was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, but those charges were dismissed last year after it was revealed that police and prosecutors withheld key evidence from defense attorneys.
Baldwin later reached a settlement with Hutchins’ surviving family. As part of that settlement, Hutchins’ widow, Matt Hutchins, became an executive producer on the film and production was completed in Montana with the family’s blessing and Bianca Cline as cinematographer, using Hutchins’ notes to guide her work.
The completion of “Rust” was included as part of the Hulu documentary “Last Take: ‘Rust’ and the Story of Halyna,” made by Hutchins’ close friend and artistic collaborator Rachel Mason.
“What I hated to see was that she was seen as this sort of tragic victim because that’s the exact opposite of who she was,” Mason told TheWrap. “She was a very forthright person. She was motivated. She was absolutely not the kind of person that you would think of as a victim.”
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