‘Red Rock West’

John Dahl’s terrific 1993 film noir brings to mind the Coen brothers’ “Blood Simple,” Carl Colpaert’s “Delusion” and his own “Kill Me Again” with its clever plotting and wide-open setting. Nice guy Nicolas Cage (pictured) is just passing through the tiny Wyoming town of Red Rock when he’s mistaken by a saloon proprietor (J.T. Walsh) for the Dallas hitman he’s hired to rub out his wife (Lara Flynn Boyle). From this pointon, Dahl and his brother Rick, who helped write the script, come up with imaginative twists and turns that not only heighten suspense but also reveal character. Dennis Hopper plays the hit man (HBO Tuesday at midnight).