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Congratulations to Hailey, aged 17, from Hertford, England, for her review of No Country for Old Men, which has won Best Film Review (sponsored by IMDb) at the Into Film Awards 2026. The award was presented by actor Bella Ramsey and actor/director George Jaques.
"This is my first proper written review", explained Hailey. "Before this, I'd only given ratings out of 5 stars on Letterboxd. I've always loved film for how it communicates emotion, perspective and social ideas, and discussing films has always been something I've grown up with. I chose Film Studies at school and realised I really enjoyed analysing and expressing ideas about films. When I watched No Country for Old Men, I had a lot of thoughts about it, which pushed me to actually put them into words."
On the value of writing about films, Hailey said: "Review writing helps people see different perspectives and notice aspects of a film they might have missed. Reading reviews has definitely changed how I watch films."
And for those who may want to consider taking up writing about film, whether professionally or just as a hobby? "My advice would be to just start; don't worry about getting it perfect. That's something that always holds me back, but if you've got an opinion on a film, it's worth sharing."
Read Hailey's winning review below.
No Country for Old Men (2007), by Hailey, aged 17 - Hertford, England
Set in 1980 Texas, No Country for Old Men subverts the typical "cat and mouse" thriller. Deviating from standard action tropes and emotional backstories, the film presents a bleak portrayal of fate through the intersection of Moss, Sheriff Bell, and the hitman Chigurh.
Moss is a morally complex protagonist whose choices resonate with the film's realism. He's a reflection of flawed human nature. This is juxtaposed by Chigurh. When he offers Moss's wife a coin toss for her life, her refusal, "The coin don't have no say, it's just you", is met with "I got here the same way the coin did." This establishes Chigurh not merely as a killer, but rather an angel of death, a personification of the merciless nature of fate. Similarly, Sheriff Bell's final dream underscores his struggle with legacy from change in reality; he finds comfort only in his dreams, abruptly punctuated by "Then I woke up".
Visually, the film excels through intentional mise-en-scène. Contrasting lighting between harsh fluorescent, muted earth tones, and low-key lighting, it doesn't just emphasise the characters' isolation but it visually swallows them, reinforcing the idea that they are helpless against the shadows of an unpredictable world. Small visual choices, like the wide shot of Moss's silhouette curled up beneath the Mexicans who stood tall, highlight his vulnerability and Chigurh's props (e.g. the cattle gun) suggests he views his victims as nothing more than cattle.
The film is intentionally frustrating, lacking the hero versus villain "showdown" with a nihilistic view can seem heavy and feel unsatisfying to those seeking closure. While the film's complexity and lack of catharsis may take time to process, its blend of writing and cinematography creates a masterpiece. It portrays a world that has grown too violent and random for those who thought they understood it.
