Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is desperate to experience the wild west and some buffalo hunting. After being refused to be taken on the wild ride by his father's friend, he is lured into by Miller (Nicolas Cage), who had once witnessed a big herd of buffaloes and wants to get his hand on the hunt. Thus, the wild west journey begins with Will funding the whole hunting expedition. Amidst the harsh experience of the journey itself, the greed takes over and the following madness makes the group numb towards the cruelty they display. What happens to the Miller's crew, Miller's greed and Will's excitement to experience the wild west forms rest of the story.
Butcher's Crossing is an ambitious film, wanting to focus on the physical and emotional rollercoaster this group go through during their buffalo hunt. It is not a easy ride and they get stranded during their wild hunt. The film throws scene after scene, depicting their time on the desert and during the hunt. The problem was it failing to register the impact. We barely get to know the characters and their motives, probably with the exception of Will Andrews. This makes it hard to connect with these characters and their hardships.
Not that the performances are bad. Infact it is what that carries the film till the end. Yet, it doesn't stop feeling like a missed opportunity as the intent was to explore the human emotion and the effect the brutal killings to even the fellow men's death have on them while battling the toll the entire expedition has on their physical and mental health. The narrative only scrapes through these emotions instead of exploring it a bit deeper. I did like the ending twist when they return back, I wish the build up to the climax had paid off better.
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