Catch the Bullet is a 2021 American Western directed by Michael Feifer, starring Jay Pickett (in one of his final roles), Gattlin Griffith, Mason McNulty, and Peter Facinelli. It tells a rugged, emotionally charged tale of vengeance and redemption in the fading days of the Old West.
The story follows U.S. Marshal Britt MacMasters (Jay Pickett), a hardened lawman who returns home from duty only to discover his father has been shot and his 12-year-old son, Chad, has been kidnapped by outlaws. Driven by a father's fury and guilt, MacMasters sets out on a perilous journey across harsh plains and lawless terrain, accompanied by a half-Comanche tracker and an inexperienced deputy. As they hunt down the gang led by the sadistic Jed Blake (Facinelli), the rescue mission turns into a reckoning—for justice, for the sins of the past, and for a dying way of life.
While Catch the Bullet follows familiar Western beats, it’s anchored by strong performances and a surprisingly heartfelt father-son theme. Jay Pickett, in particular, brings stoic gravitas to the role of Britt, portraying a man torn between duty and family. The film’s cinematography captures sweeping, desolate landscapes that reflect the loneliness of the chase and the moral ambiguity that defines frontier justice.
Critics and fans of traditional Westerns appreciated its straightforward storytelling and classical tone, though some noted its limited budget and occasionally uneven pacing. Still, for genre enthusiasts, it delivers the right amount of grit, gunfights, and emotional stakes.
In Catch the Bullet 2: Blood Trail, the story picks up five years after the events of the first film. Chad MacMasters, now 17 and struggling with the trauma of his kidnapping, trains under his father’s watchful eye to become a deputy marshal. But when a brutal new gang begins slaughtering U.S. lawmen across the territories—and rumors swirl that their leader is connected to Chad’s captors—the MacMasters are pulled back into a blood-soaked trail of vengeance.
The sequel would explore the consequences of violence passed down through generations. Chad, full of youthful anger, is eager for revenge, but Britt—now older and more haunted—wants to protect his son from becoming the man he used to be. The conflict becomes personal when the gang sets a trap that puts Chad’s life and values on the line.
With higher stakes, deeper emotional arcs, and a more complex villain, Blood Trail could offer a darker, more mature Western that examines the price of legacy in a lawless world.
