Aaron Eckhart and Jesse V. Johnson Reveal the Grit Behind Thieves Highway

Jesse V. Johnson, known for his hard-hitting action films, teams up once again with Aaron Eckhart in Thieves Highway, a tense thriller about a determined lawman fighting to stop a band of cattle thieves. The film stands out for its raw, realistic action and grounded storytelling, hallmarks of Johnson’s directorial style.

Reviving Action Cinema

When asked about the resurgence of B-movie action, Johnson explained,

I don’t think the films that people want to watch are being made by the studios, and I think we’re filling a vacuum — a void which people want to see. You know, people keep complaining about no one going to the movie theaters. If you’re making films that are unappealing, you’re going to have that problem. And they had that problem in the ‘50s. They had that problem in the early ‘60s. They had it in the late ‘70s, where the studios thought they knew what the audiences wanted, and they were wrong.

He credits independent filmmakers for stepping in to deliver what audiences crave, noting that these outsiders often create the most compelling work.

Eckhart, reflecting on his own approach, said,

I live under a rock, I don’t know too much, but I just like making movies. It’s funny because you make a comparison between theater acting and film acting and all this, and I don’t know what that means. You’ve just got to be truthful. You go out there, no matter what size of a movie or whatever it is, and you’ve just got to go out and be truthful. Give it all.

He emphasized the importance of authenticity and enjoying the process, regardless of a film’s budget or scale.

Action, Authenticity, and Collaboration

As Eckhart’s career has increasingly leaned into action roles, he shared,

I mean, I’m just getting older, and I’m lucky to be still walking, so as long as I can throw a punch and drive a car and all that sort of stuff, I feel like I’m lucky, and if somebody is going to hire me and pay me to do that. Also, a few years back, I decided to make movies that I was going to have fun in; that me, personally, when I went to set, I was going to have fun. And that’s what I’m making now. I have a blast doing these.

He values the creative freedom and camaraderie found on smaller productions, especially when working with passionate directors like Johnson.

Johnson recounted a memorable moment from their previous film, Chief of Station, where Eckhart’s commitment to performing his own stunts left a lasting impression.

We started about 65 miles an hour with Aaron driving and me filming over his shoulder, and by the third take, I think he’d taken it over 100 miles an hour. I’m stuck there, and no one else could film this, but I realized, I think, that Aaron was seeing how far he could go before I quit and thought that I was challenging him to go faster. It was one of the scariest experiences of my career as a director shooting, but he was absolutely perfect. And he did this the same time, every time.

Johnson praised Eckhart’s discipline and skill, both as an actor and in physical action, calling him one of the best in the business.

Dedication to Realism

Johnson revealed that Eckhart’s reputation extends beyond acting, sharing that top trainers in Hollywood consider him the best shooter among actors.

He is so disciplined and concise and fast with a gun on these multiple targets.

Eckhart’s daily training in martial arts and weapons ensures that every action scene feels authentic.

Well, I train every day, so I just trained today. Today, I’m doing Kali sticks because I’m going to be doing a movie Kali fighting. But I like to fight. I like to fight train. I like to make it feel real. And that’s why shooting, driving, all that sort of stuff is important. I think with these movies, you can’t rely on a stuntman to do it. You have to be in there and doing it yourself. It saves time and money, and that’s a big deal, but also sometimes, you look at the stunt guys and they’re great and everything but you go, “I could do that, so I’m gonna go try that.”

Johnson compared Eckhart’s commitment to that of Tom Cruise, noting that audiences today are savvy and expect genuine action.

They watch YouTube videos. They play video games where this stuff is highlighted and explained. They’re connoisseurs of guns and tactics and physical action and martial arts through UFC. So, their heroes on screen, they can’t fake it like Randolph Scott did. You can’t fake the gunshot, and the guy dies in the next frame. They want to see the tactics and the training behind that.

This dedication to realism is evident throughout Thieves Highway, especially in its intense fight sequences.

Exploring Moral Complexity

Eckhart often portrays characters who start out lawful but are pushed to the edge by a broken system. He explained,

Well, I think I’ll try to put it a different way than that, which is a lawman who wants to abide the law but is driven to break the law because of a moral code because the law has deserted him. Because the law has become corrupt. And I don’t want to say anything bad, but I think there’s a fine line between a lawman and a criminal a lot of times, and I think that we see that in society today. It’s a violent vocation, and sometimes when you’re fighting for what you believe in, you have to go all in on it.

He’s drawn to stories about corruption, coercion, and control, and the struggle to overcome them.

Both Johnson and Eckhart believe the film’s themes resonate widely. Eckhart said,

Well, these are universal issues. They’re iconic. The idea of somebody’s livelihood being stolen from them. He is counting on that money, counting on all of his hard work paying off for him. The idea that people who cannot take for themselves if not for theft and thievery, and that gets under a man’s skin after a while.

Johnson added that the plight of small farmers, left vulnerable by the system, mirrors broader frustrations many people feel today. Their hope is that Thieves Highway shines a light on these struggles, even as it entertains with gripping action.