You’ve probably seen the grainy photos of a grizzled, bearded man in a duster coat, looking like he just stepped out of a 19th-century nightmare. It’s hard to reconcile that image with the guy who shouts "Yeah!" in front of 50,000 screaming metal fans. But honestly, seeing James Hetfield in The Thicket feels weirdly natural.
It isn't a cameo. This isn't a "blink and you'll miss it" moment where a rock star pops in for a punchline. Hetfield actually acts.
The movie, which hit theaters in September 2024 before landing on Tubi, is a dark, snowy Western based on the Joe R. Lansdale novel. It’s grim. It’s muddy. It’s the kind of world where you can practically smell the wet wool and gunpowder through the screen.
Who exactly is Simon Deasy?
James Hetfield plays Simon Deasy, a bounty hunter who has transitioned into a lawman role—sorta. He’s part of a duo, paired up with Macon Blair’s character, Malachi Deasy. They’re essentially hired guns tasked by a local bigwig to track down Reginald Jones, the film's protagonist played by Peter Dinklage.
Basically, Hetfield is the antagonist to the "hero" of the story.
He spends a good chunk of his screen time looking cynical and grizzled. There’s a scene where he’s wandering through the snowy woods of Calgary (where they filmed), smoking a cigar and looking like he’s seen too much of the world’s ugliness. It works. The man has a face that looks like it was carved out of a canyon wall, which is exactly what a Western needs.
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It started with a dream
Director Elliott Lester claims the casting wasn't some corporate synergy move. He actually woke up from a literal dream where he saw Hetfield in this specific part. He told Peter Dinklage about it, and they went on a hunt.
They tried management. They tried friends. Eventually, Sacha Gervasi, who directed the Anvil! The Story of Anvil documentary, helped them bridge the gap.
Hetfield didn't need much convincing. He’s a fan of the genre. He’s always wanted to do a "dark Western," and this script delivered on the "dark" part in spades.
Is the acting actually good?
Look, let’s be real. When a musician steps onto a film set, everyone expects a train wreck. We’ve all seen the "stiff" performances from other rockers trying to pivot to the big screen.
In The Thicket, Hetfield is... surprisingly okay.
Some critics have pointed out that his delivery can feel a bit rushed, especially in the later half of the movie. Others have said he should probably stick to the guitar. But the general consensus among fans on places like Reddit is that he fits the vibe.
His voice is unmistakable. That low, gravelly rumble is a weapon. When he says his lines, he sounds like a man who has lived through a few wars and several bad winters.
Comparisons to the Ted Bundy movie
This isn't his first time playing a cop. Back in 2019, he played Officer Bob Hayward in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. In that film, he was the guy who first pulled over Ted Bundy.
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He seems to have a thing for the badge.
But Simon Deasy in The Thicket is a different beast than Officer Hayward. Deasy is more nuanced, more tired, and frankly, more dangerous. He’s not a "good guy" in the traditional sense. He’s a product of a violent era.
The atmosphere of The Thicket
If you’re expecting Tombstone, you’re going to be disappointed. This movie is much closer to The Revenant or The Great Silence. It’s cold.
The production was hit by everything you can imagine. COVID-19 delayed it for years. They filmed in sub-zero temperatures in Calgary. You can see the genuine misery on the actors' faces, and it adds a layer of authenticity that a soundstage in Hollywood just can't replicate.
- Peter Dinklage plays Reginald Jones, a bounty hunter.
- Juliette Lewis is Cut-Throat Bill, the terrifying antagonist.
- Levon Hawke (Ethan Hawke’s son) is the young man trying to save his sister.
Hetfield’s presence adds a strange, cult-film energy to the mix. It’s an eclectic cast that shouldn't work on paper but somehow pulls it off.
Why you should care
For Metallica fans, seeing "Papa Het" in a duster is worth the price of admission alone. For Western fans, it’s a solid, brutal entry into the "Snow Western" subgenre.
It explores the idea of the "Thicket"—a lawless no-man's-land where the rules of society don't apply. It’s about people who are "prisoners of childhood," a theme Hetfield himself has explored in Metallica's recent album 72 Seasons.
There’s a poetic irony there.
What to do next
If you haven't seen it yet, don't go in expecting a high-octane action flick. It’s a slow burn.
- Watch it on Tubi if you want the free (with ads) experience.
- Check out the book by Joe R. Lansdale first if you want to see how the story originally looked (the movie makes some big changes, like making Cut-Throat Bill a woman).
- Pay attention to the background music. While Hetfield isn't on the soundtrack, the sound design is incredibly immersive.
Stop looking for the rock star and just look for the man in the hat. Once you do that, the performance actually starts to settle in. It’s a gritty, unglamorous turn from a man who spent forty years in the spotlight, and that humility is perhaps the most impressive thing about his role in The Thicket.
Next Steps: If you want to dive deeper into the production, look for the "The Metallica Report" podcast episode from late 2024 where Hetfield discusses his time on set in Calgary. You can also compare his performance here to his debut in the 2019 Bundy biopic to see how much his comfort level in front of the camera has evolved.