Jody Marriott Bar-Lev produced and co-directs the film with Steve Russell.
In his review of the film for the Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen wrote: "... "West of Thunder" is a strangely earnest revenge picture, a kindhearted Western with its fair share of killing.
Directed by Jody Marriott Bar-Lev (also a co-writer) and Steve Russell (also co-cinematographer with John Stanier), the film feels not so much amateurish as homespun, made with a sincerity that smoothes over at least some of its rough edges.
"[2] Kristina Bravo of The Village Voice considered: "West of Thunder is 84 minutes of an extended high school drama-class project that includes history lessons, incongruous literature lectures, and much awkward dialogue interspersed with shots of natural landscape and sprinting animals.
"[3] Shelli Sonstein of New York's Q104.3 FM remarked: "...it's a really unusual movie ...with an interesting twist.