Summary

The true story ofThe Highwaymen — Netflix ’s 2019 crime thriller focusing on a pair of Texas commando task with hunting down Bonnie and Clyde — is comparatively historically accurate , though it does take some creative liberties . The Highwaymenis the true write up of Frank Hamer ( Kevin Costner ) and Maney Gault ( Woody Harrelson ) , the two Texas Rangers who hunted down and killed the ill-famed criminal in the thirties . Bonnie and Clyde only appear shortly inThe Highwaymen , with the Netflix motion picture instead focusing almost entirely on veridical - life lawmenplayed by Costnerand Harrelson .

Both Frank Hamer and Maney Gaut were real multitude , and they were responsible for taking down the real Bonnie and Clyde just likeThe Highwaymenportrayed . Bonnie and Clyde are two of America ’s most notorious criminals , and the airstream to apprehend them was so mind - blowingly dramatic thatThe Highwaymendidn’t postulate to stray too far from the true storey to create a thrilling narrative . However , like many cinema based on true events , some liberties were strike . In the end , there were several things Netflix convert about Hamer , Gault , Bonnie , Clyde , and the true story ofThe Highwaymen .

Netflix ’s The Highwaymen star Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the men who hunted down Bonnie and Clyde - but how stuffy is it to the unfeigned story ?

Bonnie clyde movies inspired featured image

True: Hamers & Gault’s Partnership

The Two Men Worked Together Before The Mission

The true story ofThe Highwaymenplayed out like a real - life buddy copper movie . Kevin Costner ’s Hamerand Woody Harrelson ’s Gaultwere two former US Marshals scream back into activeness to stop Bonnie and Clyde . The former relationship between the two law enforcement officials help them give an easy rapport as they set out on Bonnie and Clyde ’s lead .

WhileThe Highwaymentakes a few liberties with the timing of their partnership , Hamer and Gault did indeed know and work together before this case . And like in the film , Hamer personally choose Gault to be his partneron the manhunt .

False: Gault’s Hardships

Gault Was Still An Active Officer When Recruited

When Gault show up other inThe Highwaymen , he is a heavily - drinking human being down on his luck . He lives with his daughter and grandson , struggling to contribute to the broken family . The mission to hunt down Bonnie and Clyde gives him renewed determination , but thequestion remains about whether Gault is too broken from his tearing past . The real - life-time Gault was nowhere near this sort of sad state when Hamer recruited him . The substantial Gault never really left jurisprudence enforcement as he was work on steadily as a highway patrol police officer prior to joiningthe Holman Hunt for Bonnie and Clyde .

True: The Prison Break

Bonnie & Clyde Really Broke Their Gang Out Of Prison

The Highwaymenopens with a make bold prison house evasion orchestrated by Bonnie and Clyde ( play in cameo show by Emily Brobst and Edward Bossert ) , allowing several crowd member to get by detainment . The breakout leave one guard dead and another injured . The plethora of the gang ’s brazen routine convinced the state of Texas to quetch the manhunt into high geared wheel and hire Hamer to bring in them down . The spectacular event is rightful . It happened in 1934 at Eastham Prison as is describe in the plastic film . It is also true that this offence directly led to the hiring of Hamer in real sprightliness .

Few criminals are as infamous as these cant robber . Along with 1967 ’s Bonnie and Clyde , many large films have been cheer by the duo .

False: Run-Ins With Bonnie & Clyde

Hamer & Gault Never Saw Them Until The Final Battle

ThroughoutThe Highwaymen , Hamer and Gault are hot on the heels of the homicidal couplet who stay on just one step ahead of them . However , their paths finally cross by accident , even leading to a car Salmon P. Chase between the Rangers and the criminals . In world , Hamer and Gault look Bonnie and Clyde for the first time on the twenty-four hour period they gun them down . While the substantial Hamer and Gault ’s investigation was effective at quell on the trail , any encounters the duo had with them before their final shootout inThe Highwaymenwere tot for striking purposes , include the automobile chase .

True: Easter Sunday Shooting

Bonnie & Clyde Really Killed Two Police Officers

The first case when the law officer see the consequence of Bonnie and Clyde ’s crimes was when they gunned down two patrol officers on Easter Sunday in Grapevine , Texas . The brutal murder helps cement the fact thatThe Highwaymenis not pass away to be a flattering look at the infamous couple . lamentably , the shooting really happened , though the flick plays around with the fact of the event . The slaying was widely circulated in the press in particular but did little to dampen the public ’s love of Bonnie and Clyde .

True: Bonnie’s Limp

Bonnie Had A Limp From An Auto Accident

In an interesting move , The Highwaymennever reveals a full aspect at Bonnie and Clyde until the end , bid only glimpses of them throughout the moving-picture show . However , whenever we see Bonnie , she is show to have a bad limp said to be from a car chance event . This is incredible attention to detail fromThe Highwaymen , as the limp is historically accurate . The substantial Bonnie and Clyde had crashed their elevator car at some detail and battery acid leaked onto Bonnie ’s leg , giving her that regretful limp for the rest of her remaining day .

The fabled felonious twain Bonnie and Clyde is n’t the only deadly duo seen on the big covert - just as Slim and Queen or Lula and Sailor !

False: Bonnie The Killer

Bonnie Possibly Never Really Killed Anyone

The Highwaymengoes to great length to demystify any of the romanticistic notions about Bonnie and Clyde , showing them as cold - full-blooded and pitiless killers . It specifically centre on Bonnie ’s homicidal side , point her joyfully execute several victims . Bonnie was complicit in all of Clyde Barrow ’s crime . However , many scholars rebut that she was ever meaningfully involved with them . Despite what the film suggests , there is no evidence tying Bonnie to any murder . Some even suggest it is unlikely she ever even convey a weapon .

False: Wade McNabb’s Death

Wayne McNabb Died Differently In Real Life

In bothThe Highwaymen , Hamer and Gault attempt to get to Bonnie and Clyde through an comrade of theirs . Wade McNabb was leave behind in the earlier prison prison-breaking . McNabb is released from prison house to help lead the law to his partner . However , the outlaws get to him first and brutally kill him , causing Gault to question the morals of their deputation . McNabb was a real individual , but his participation was drastically changed for the motion picture .

The first fabrication made byThe Highwaymenabout McNabb was the prison house good luck . He did spend time in that prison but was not involved with the breakout . When the existent McNabb was murdered , it was by another associate and not related to any deals with the lawman .

True: The Shooting Of Bonnie & Clyde

The Murders Of Bonnie & Clyde Were Accurate In The Highwaymen

While the path that conduce to it is interesting , the big present moment ofThe Highwaymenis the final gunfight . The tense here and now comes when the Rangers get an acquaintance of Bonnie and Clyde to wave down their car . Hamer , convey on the risk , step out on the route and call off for the mates ’s capitulation . When they reach for their weapons , the lawmen overt fire . The ferociousness is quite accurate to the real deaths of the duo . The Rangers did not take chances . And for more accuracy , the scene was filmed in the location of the real shootout .

From Breathless to The Getaway , these are the best lovers - on - the - rivulet movies , ranked by their IMDb ratings .

True: Aftermath

People Still Desecrated Bonnie & Clyde’s Bodies

Once the couple is idle , their bullet - riddled automobile and bodies are taken into townsfolk where they are besieged by a crowd of admirer . Mirroring the earlier scene where people obsess over seeing Bonnie and Clyde in person , they snap at their bloody corpses hoping to get a souvenir . Disturbingly , this is quite exact to the real story . A mob of people swarmed the scene and render abridge body character and clothing for souvenir . Also , as depicted inThe Highwaymen , Hamer and Gault avoided the medium surrounding the shooting .

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Cast

Former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault end their respective retirement to join personnel to try and take down notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow . stick in maturation hell for age , this Netflix original star Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the veridical life lawman .

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Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in Breathless, Steven McQueen and Ali McGraw in The Getaway

The Highwaymen montage

The Highwaymen Movie True Story

Former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault end their respective retirements to join forces to try and take down notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Stuck in development hell for years, this Netflix original stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the real life lawmen.

Woody Harrelson in The Highwaymen.

The prison break in The Highwaymen.

Hamer and Gault looking at the dead patrolmen in The Highwaymen.

Woody Harrelson, Kevin Costner and Thomas Mann in Highwaymen.

Bonnie aiming a gun in The Highwaymen.

Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson in Highwaymen.

The death car parade in The Highwaymen.

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Former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault end their respective retirements to join forces to try and take down notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Stuck in development hell for years, this Netflix original stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the real life lawmen.

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