Russell Crowe's new Western film "The Weight" has achieved critical acclaim with a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, marking his best-reviewed film in 27 years since 1999. This represents a significant milestone for the Oscar winner, who has spent much of the last decade working on smaller-scale projects with mixed commercial success.

The film, directed by Padraic McKinley in his directorial debut, stars Crowe alongside Ethan Hawke in a story about an incarcerated man attempting to reunite with his daughter whilst contending with a menacing warden. It achieved a top-10 box office debut this weekend with $2.5 million from approximately 1,500 theatres, continuing an eventful month for Crowe that also includes releases of "The Get Out" and the upcoming psychological thriller "Unabomber."