Furthermore, the film succeeds due to its impeccable casting and the unique dynamic between its leads. George Clooney’s Seth Gecko is the anchor of sanity. Clooney brings a magnetic, leading-man charisma to a role that requires him to be both villain and hero. In contrast, Tarantino’s Richie is erratic and unhinged, representing the criminal id. The film’s brilliance is exemplified in the character arc of Jacob (Harvey Keitel), a preacher who has lost his faith. In a standard horror film, the man of God is a walking cliché. In From Dusk Till Dawn , his crisis of faith is the emotional core. When he finally regains his belief to wield a shotgun stake, the moment is earned not through horror tropes, but through the dramatic setup established in the film’s "crime" first act.