MEEK’S CUTOFF: Movie Review

Director Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff is an excellently helmed slow-burn Western film that is rife with realism and slowly mounting tension. This riveting and captivating film boasts Reichardt’s incredible skill and abilities as a director, as she uses an authentic approach to create suspense and intrigue in this unique and artful historical piece. This is an incredibly detailed work of filmmaking, and Reichardt (with writer Jon Raymond) uses many of the scenes simply to build atmosphere and to immerse the audience in the environment the characters are in. There is a great deal of attention to detail, but the drama never lets up either, as the story is excellently woven through the realism of this film. The film is aided by the very strong performances of its cast, especially by Michelle Williams and Bruce Greenwood. Meek’s Cutoff is a grounded and entirely riveting historical piece – it’s entertaining and interesting as a direct result of its deliberate approach and genuine take.

Michelle Williams in Meek’s Cutoff.

The performances from the entire ensemble cast here are very strong and fit perfectly into the surrounding realism and atmosphere of the film. Michelle Williams, in particular, is dependably great here and so is Bruce Greenwood who is truly relishing his role as Stephen Meek. The rest of the cast, which includes the likes of Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Will Patton, and Rod Rondeaux, who also nail their respective parts. There is nobody who ever feels too out-of-place with the time depicted here, and all the performers blend almost effortlessly into the environment.

From a technical perspective, everything here is mostly great too. The film is shot in the wonderfully stylized 4:3 aspect ratio, and the cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt (Emma, First Cow, and Mid90s) excellently captures the barren, despairing landscapes of the film as well as the moments of its mystic beauty. Perhaps the only complaint is the lighting of some of the nighttime scenes in the film, which are incredibly hard to see. The dim lighting may have been added to enhance the said phenomenal realism of the film, but it backfires as you have to squint to see any of the characters.

Michelle Williams, Shirley Henderson, and Zoe Kazan in Meek’s Cutoff.

With Meek’s Cutoff, director Kelly Reichardt and writer Jon Raymond craft a real life Oregon Trail story that brims with realism and genuine suspense. There is a constant sense of despair and uncertainty that permeates into the film from the minds and souls of these characters, as their weariness seeps into the film. Despite this, the movie itself never feels wearying or particularly overstretched, even though it moves at such a deliberating pace. This is credit to the great writing by Raymond, who interweaves an engaging plot through the film and director Reichardt who keeps the film focused on its characters, while providing the atmospherics of this unique time and place in history. Ultimately, perhaps, the film could have used some stronger thematic messaging in some places, but the precise and focused details of the film and the engaging script make this a film very well-worth seeking out and diving into.

All in all, Meek’s Cutoff is a great watch, especially for audiences looking for a patiently captivating Western film that doesn’t include the many overused tropes of the genre. This is an impeccably crafted, strong tonic of filmmaking that remains gripping through its singular approach.