Directors: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague, Gilbert Owuor
Running Time: 113 minutes
Synopsis: With their father in a terminal coma after a stroke, estranged half-siblings Cal (Owen Teague) and Erin (Haley Lu Richardson) return to the family ranch in rural Montana. Barely on speaking terms, Cal and Erin clash over the fate of a beloved but aging horse. Their father's palliative care nurse Ace (Gilbert Owuor) tries to reduce the tension in the household, as Cal and Erin start exploring past traumas that came between them.
What Works Well: Grounded in realism and rooted in a sense of place where the ghosts of past events haunt the present, co-directors and co-writers Scott McGehee and David Siegel focus on subdued emotions. Anger and resentment stay just under surface, what remains unsaid often more important than the spoken word. The Giles Nuttgens cinematography captures the rustic beauty of an isolated setting nestled within the mountains, and both Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague emit the subtle distress signals of deeply damaged family dynamics.
What Does Not Work As Well: It takes a confusing while to untangle the relationships between the few key characters. The pacing is sometimes painfully slow, pregnant pauses and the occasional focus on minutia contributing to a longer-than-necessary running time.
Key Quote:
Ace (to Erin): Your father is a man whose past is complete now. Nothing more will be added to his story.
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