Meek's Cutoff

In 1845, three settler families set out for Oregon, but when their guide, Stephen Meek, takes them off the established trail, they soon lose their bearings in the vast desert. As their water runs low and tensions rise, a captured Native American man becomes their only hope of finding a way out. Within this male-dominated community, the women increasingly come to the fore, relying on their instincts and judgement to question the decisions of the men around them. Kelly Reichardt's spare Western turns away from the mythology of the American frontier, instead observing the quiet drama of uncertainty, vulnerability, and survival.

Venice Film Festival 2010 – Competition

Kelly Reichardt is an American filmmaker and screenwriter, and one of the defining figures of American independent cinema. Her films often place landscapes, labour, and people living on the margins of communities at their centre, reshaping traditional genre forms through restrained rhythms and meticulous observation. Meek's Cutoff is one of her most significant films, turning away from the conventions of the classical Western to focus on uncertainty, vulnerability, and the everyday experience of life on the frontier.

Old Joy (2006)
Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Certain Women (2016)
First Cow (2019)

Original title: Meek's Cutoff
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Cast: Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan, Paul Dano, Shirley Henderson, Neal Huff, Tommy Nelson, Rod Rondeaux
Cinematography: Christopher Blauvelt
Screenwriter: Jonathan Raymond
Producers: Elizabeth Cuthrell, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, David Urrutia
Editor: Kelly Reichardt
Music: Jeff Grace
Production Designer: David Doernberg
Art Director: Kat Uhlmansiek
Costume Design: Vicki Farrell
Hungarian Distributor: -
Colour: colour
Run Time: 104 mins