movie reviews land

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Robin Wright ’s directorial debut “Land,” premiering this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, is a confident drama about multiple forms of isolation. Edee (Wright) is isolated emotionally by a horrible tragedy and the lingering grief that has made her suicidal. Almost as if she’s trying to mirror how alone she feels on the inside, she isolates herself physically too, going to a remote cabin and trying to live off the land. Wright’s film is a lyrical character study about two deeply pained people who find purpose in one another. Even as the vast landscape around them seems to recall the insignificance of one person against the beauty of Mother Nature, “Land” suggests that isolation isn’t the answer and connection is what matters. It’s a smart, moving piece of work, hampered a bit by a rushed final act that feels somewhat manipulative but confidently acted throughout.

Wright does a great deal of character work in the film’s first half-hour with almost no dialogue. The long opening credits find Edee driving to a remote cabin in the mountains. When she tells the man who guided her there to come and get the rental car when he can, he suggests that it’s safer to have a vehicle up here. Edee doesn’t care about safety. There’s a lack of preparation for what’s about to face Edee that almost leans into the flashbacks that hint at her suicidal nature following an undisclosed tragedy. It’s as if Edee is fine with the Earth reclaiming her. She doesn’t know how to hunt or trap; she doesn’t have enough supplies; winter is coming. If she dies out here, so be it. It's almost like watching someone slowly drown, hundreds of miles from the ocean.

Writers Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam withhold the details about what has driven Edee to a place that almost feels built by Mother Nature to kill her other than brief flashbacks to a sister named Emma ( Kim Dickens ) begging Edee not to commit suicide and glimpses of a man and a boy, who it becomes clear are Edee’s lost family. At its core, “Land” is a story of unimaginable grief, the kind of pain that reshapes the landscape. Imagine something so horrible happening to you that the world around you looks entirely different—why not change your setting as extremely as moving from the city of Chicago to the Rocky Mountains? As a performer, Wright smartly imbues Edee with what almost feels like constant pain in the film’s first act. It’s such a stark, gloomy story that we start to feel Edee’s non-stop sadness with her.

And then “Land” shifts gears by introducing a hunter named Miguel ( Demián Bichir ) and a nurse named Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge). Not only do they save Edee’s life, Miguel becomes an unexpected ally and even teacher. He promises not to tell Edee anything of the outside world, maintaining her self-isolation, and he doesn’t say much. He’s going to give her the tools to survive, and then be gone. And he has some trauma and grief of his own to bring on the hunting trip.

As a director, Wright and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski (“ 99 Homes ”) strike a nice balance between lyrical shots of the gorgeous backdrop and close-ups that reveal their characters’ trauma. It’s a beautiful film that also never loses its sense of danger. There's a shot late in the film in which Edee is standing near the edge of a cliff and I was convinced she was going to fall. "Land" has a finely tuned balance between the beauty of this world and the fact that that beauty hides so many aspects that can kill you, from bears looking for food to brutal winter snowstorms to, yes, cliffs. Anne McCabe & Mikkel E.G. Nielsen’s editing deserves praise for finding this balance too.

However, “Land” works best as a performance piece for two excellent actors. Wright nails every aspect of this character, particularly the way she internalizes her grief and uses that empty pain to push herself to survive. Bichir matches her with a very different performance that’s no less powerful. Neither character gets much to say—and the dialogue is often the weakest aspect of the film in that it’s sometimes a bit too unrealistic—but that allows Wright and Bichir to do a great deal of physical acting. Most importantly, they sell how these two people end up needing each other without resorting to melodrama. They have chemistry as two fully believable, three-dimensional characters unexpectedly sharing the same space.

Some of the final scenes of “Land” feel unearned, and I found the film far more effective in its silence than its dialogue. A simple shot of a man sitting on a porch with his eyes closed, the sun on his face, can be more powerful than an overwritten monologue.

The song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears becomes a recurring joke in “Land” as Miguel sings it a few times, and it’s tempting to pull apart the lyrics and how they reflect in the story of the film. After all, it does feature the lines “Turn your back on mother nature” and “It’s my own design/It’s my own remorse,” both of which could sound explicitly like they’re about Edee’s story. However, there’s a line in the chorus that is also important to remember when it comes to depression and grief, emotions that can sometimes feel like they’ll never end: “Nothing ever lasts forever.”

This review was filed in conjunction with the world premiere at Sundance on January 31 st , 2021. It will open in theaters on February 12 th , 2021.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Now playing

Taking Venice

Matt zoller seitz.

Clint Worthington

We Grown Now

Peyton robinson.

Mother of the Bride

Marya e. gates.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Sheila o'malley.

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Film credits.

Land (2021)

Rated PG-13

Robin Wright as Edee

Demian Bichir as Miguel

Kim Dickens as Emma

Robin Wright
Jesse Chatham
Erin Dignam

Cinematographer

Bobby Bukowski
Anne McCabe
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Latest blog posts

Neon’s Five Palme d’Or Winners, Ranked

The 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Unveils Its Official Selection

Saved! at 20: Religious Satire and the Millennial Generation

Killer Klowns from Outer Space Is a Total Blast

Supported by

Critic’s Pick

‘Land’ Review: True Nature

In her feature directing debut, Robin Wright plays a woman who moves alone to the mountains.

Share full article

By Glenn Kenny

The beauty of the mountain regions of Alberta, Canada, is presented in modes both lush and piercingly sharp in Robin Wright’s feature directing debut, “Land.” Wright also plays the lead role, Edee, a grieving woman who wants to get away from the world.

Many say they’d like to do that, but Edee means it. As she heads off to a mountaintop where she’s bought a minimally equipped cabin, she sees an incoming call on her iPhone. She throws the phone in a trash bin. At the cabin, she asks the man who’s handing it over to her to drive her rental car back down the mountain. “It’s not a good idea to be out here without a vehicle,” he warns. She does not heed him.

“This isn’t working,” Edee admits to herself as hard winter sets in. We’ve seen flashbacks to her former life, so we’re now partially aware of her situation. Through impressionistic shots that seem part flashbacks, part wishful visions, we get glimpses of an existence that is no longer Edee’s. And we begin to understand that while she’s come to this location perhaps in part to relive scenes from that life, she may also be actively courting death.

Suffering from exposure and dehydration, she’s found by a hunter, Miguel. With the help of his sister, a nurse, Miguel brings Edee back from the brink of death. The hunter is played by Demián Bichir, a great actor who very well may have the saddest eyes of anyone working in movies today. “Why are you helping me?” Edee asks. “You were in my path,” he says.

As they get to know each other a little, Miguel recognizes the arrogance and egotism that have made Edee’s mourning a destructive thing. To her assertion, “I’m here in this place because I don’t want to be around people,” he responds, in a gentle voice, “Only a person who has never been hungry thinks starving is a good way to die.”

Miguel reveals the losses in his own past, but it’s only at the movie’s very end that we learn how deep his injury, and indeed his self-injury, have gone. And what Edee’s been keeping hidden also comes fully to light. What’s left is reconciliation. If possible.

Wright’s movie is ambitious (that location! that weather!), but not grandiose. Its storytelling economy helps make it credible and eventually moving. While “Land” sometimes leans too hard on conventional signifiers (the rootsy music score is predictably somber), it’s a distinctive, strong picture.

Land Rated PG-13 for themes and imagery. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. In theaters. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters.

An earlier version of this review misstated the profession of the character Miguel's sister. She is a nurse, not a doctor.

How we handle corrections

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Season 49 of “Saturday Night Live” has ended. Here’s a look back at its most memorable monologues, sketches, product parodies and impressions .

“Megalopolis,” the first film from the director Francis Ford Coppola in 13 years, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Here’s what to know .

Why is the “Planet of the Apes” franchise so gripping and effective? Because it doesn’t monkey around, our movie critic writes .

Luke Newton has been in the sexy Netflix hit “Bridgerton” from the start. But a new season will be his first as co-lead — or chief hunk .

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Hit Man Link to Hit Man
In A Violent Nature Link to In A Violent Nature

New TV Tonight

Eric: Season 1
We Are Lady Parts: Season 2
Geek Girl: Season 1
The Outlaws: Season 3
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Season 4
America's Got Talent: Season 19
Fiennes: Return to the Wild: Season 1
The Famous Five: Season 1
Couples Therapy: Season 4
Celebrity Family Food Battle: Season 1

Land Reviews

Wright and Bichir’s compelling performances, as well as stunning cinematography by Bobby Bukowski, make Land a worthwhile journey from the numbness of loss to the joys of finding peace within.

Full Review | Feb 13, 2024

For director/star Wright this film could have been something significant if she didn’t place herself second to the land she was filming on.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 17, 2023

Land is an outstanding feature directorial debut from Robin Wright, who also delivers one of my favorite performances of hers. An incredibly inspirational film that relies on its unforgettable visuals and an extremely engaging score.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 24, 2023

With Land, Robin Wright makes a noble attempt of presenting a sensible story about loss and endurance. Nevertheless, a weak script prevents it from happening.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Mar 15, 2023

Robin Wright’s directorial debut, Land, is an exercise in stoic ambivalence. The problem is her film tips its hand too early and often; leaving little for its audience to care about and hang onto through the picture.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 11, 2022

Wright describes her film as being about “resilience in the face of adversity“. It’s also a delicate study on the crushing effects of unchecked grief and an examination of both physical and emotional isolation.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Wright's talents as an actor far outweigh her abilities as a director.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 5, 2022

The film is nothing to write home about... but the locations are magnificent, and Wright gives it her all, delivering a fine performance alongside her helming duties.

Full Review | Nov 5, 2021

A bland melodrama about a woman who isolates herself in the mountains of Wyoming to seek to survive a certain personal trauma. Impeccable landscape photography, good performances and a real waste of time.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Oct 26, 2021

The stunning cinematography of Land creates a contemplative space for this study in contrasts about people dealing with grief.

Full Review | Aug 27, 2021

For all the conviction provided by Wright, usually excellent, it locks us out, leaving the audience struggling to understand while the adventure flags and becomes repetitive

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 23, 2021

Wright is wonderful in the lead and good as a director, and the cinematography is exquisite.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 20, 2021

Land comes across in a more understated manner, partly because it ultimately deals with grief and forgiveness. Low key and heartfelt, Land proves fully grounded as a well-made, sensitive little film.

Full Review | Jul 16, 2021

Land is a measured film with a well-worn plot, and yet it still harbors some beautiful moments of mourning, crisis and uplift.

Full Review | Jun 24, 2021

I expected something interesting and artistic. I got something that looks nice but is utterly predictable.

Full Review | Jun 23, 2021

The result holds few narrative surprises, yet offers a quietly moving, solidly satisfying take on the rewards and challenges of going it alone.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 17, 2021

With a spectacular mountain setting and a committed central performance, this film remains watchable even if it's underpowered.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 11, 2021

Overall, Land is a solid and timely film. Celebrating themes of redemption and human resilience, it captures the essence of the moment with no frills or fanfare.

Full Review | Jun 8, 2021

An almost silent drama that opens with color and beauty as [Robin Wright's] character is able to open her eyes to her reality, to her chosen loneliness. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 8, 2021

Drab, uninspired directorial debut doesn't offer anything in the way of excitement.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 8, 2021

an image, when javascript is unavailable

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘land’: film review | sundance 2021.

Robin Wright stars in and directs a drama centered on the self-imposed isolation of a woman in the throes of devastating loss.

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Send an Email
Show additional share options
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Share on Whats App
Print the Article
Post a Comment

Over the past year, many of us have become intimately acquainted with a “remote” approach to life and work. For the protagonist of Land , a woman stricken by unfathomable loss, remoteness is not a matter of cyber readjustments but an existential imperative. She turns away from what’s left of her life in the city — specifically, from people and their need for her to get “better” — and exiles herself to a mountaintop cabin, believing that she’s prepared for the wilderness. Land , which marks Robin Wright ‘s first time at the helm of a feature, poses some of life’s starkest questions with a simple, elemental force, and with deep wells of compassion.

After her work in front of and behind the camera for House of Cards , Wright is a practiced hand at simultaneous toplining and directing, but the film takes her double duties to a new scale and depth. As an actor, Wright has always expressed more through restraint than abandon. That sensibility is well matched to a story that revolves around tussles with death and the life-changing kindness of strangers. In the impressively unadorned drama, which will follow its Sundance premiere with a Feb. 12 theatrical release, Wright and her co-star, Demián Bichir, deliver performances that are compellingly contained and profoundly affecting.

Release date: Feb 12, 2021

Robin Wright on How Her Directorial Debut, 'Land,' Captures Resilience Amid Grieving

A friendship develops slowly between these two similarly wounded yet resilient souls, who respect and understand each other even though they know little about each other’s lives. In the performances of Wright and Bichir, what’s unspoken between Edee and Miguel is resounding. They have their playful exchanges too, notably in a campfire sing-along of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (its second showcase in a recent feature, after Ethan Hawke’s rendition in Tesla ).

Elsewhere, the stirring minor-key string score is a fine match for this story’s quiet directness and its yearning mix of calamity, beauty, deprivation and unexpected gifts. Without a drop of self-congratulatory “enlightenment,” Land occupies a wild terrain of ineffable tenderness.

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres) Distributor: Focus Features Production companies: Big Beach, Flashlight Films, Nomadic Pictures, Cinetic Media Cast: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Kim Dickens, Brad Leland, Sarah Dawn Pledge, Warren Christie, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong Director: Robin Wright Screenwriters: Jesse Chatham, Erin Digman Producers: Allyn Stewart, Lora Kennedy, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf Executive producers: Robin Wright, Marc Turtletaub, Eddie Rubin, Chad Oakes, Michael Frislev, John Sloss, Steven Farneth Director of photography: Bobby Bukowski Production designer: Trevor Smith Costume designer: Kemal Harris Editors: Anne McCabe, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen Music: Ben Sollee, Time for Three Sound designer: Paul Hsu Casting: Jackie Lind 89 minutes

THR Newsletters

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘moana 2’ makes splash with first trailer, kevin macdonald to direct john lennon, yoko ono documentary (exclusive), whoopi goldberg accepted her role in tony goldwyn’s ‘ezra’ without reading the script, ‘immaculate’ director addresses criticism of film’s dark visuals on streaming: “it’s a real problem”, ‘knives out 3’ adds andrew scott to cast, ‘black dog’ review: man bites dog, becomes his best friend in gorgeously offbeat canine caper from china.

Land (2021) Review

04 Jun 2021

Land (2021)

Robin Wright ’s directorial debut follows a trail beaten by recent female-led films about living off the grid: notably Jean-Marc Vallée’s Wild , Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace and Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-winning Nomadland . Although the scenery is just as awe-inspiring here, Land cleaves too close to familiar ground. Its unimaginative script pales in comparison to its free-spirited predecessors.

Much of the film plays out as a grim, silent montage of naïve Edee failing at self-sufficiency.

Wright stars as Edee, a woman who retreats to a precarious cabin high in the mountains of Wyoming following a personal tragedy. She is far from suited to the cabin life, which is more hardcore than cottagecore. Much of the film plays out as a grim, silent montage of naïve Edee failing at self-sufficiency. Her hands bloom with blisters after hacking firewood; she can’t hunt, her crops wither and she’s soon eating cold tuna from a can while shivering through her first winter. In one fearsome moment, a bear circles her outside privy, swiping at the walls. Be thankful, then, that Land frequently cuts away to those distractingly verdant mountain views for relief.

Intermittent flashbacks to Edee’s memories of a sunnier past life help explain her rash behaviour. Wracked by grief, at some level she’s hoping the elements will win. And that’s what she’d get, if gruff Miguel ( Demián Bichir ), a local hunter, didn’t step in to save her, with medicine and patient lessons in survival skills. From that point on, the film’s horizons narrow dismally to Miguel’s sacrifice and Edee’s redemption, amid some affable but forgettable banter between a diffident, self-absorbed heroine and her enigmatic saviour. For Edee, sadly, Wyoming’s landscape and its native culture are just a prop for her own therapy. And Land ’s pat conclusion is liable to leave you yearning for something as unpredictable as the weather, as broad in scope as the view from her rickety porch.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

A woman (played by actress Robin Wright) sits in front of a log cabin with a thoughtful expression on her face.

In Theaters

February 12, 2021
Robin Wright as Edee; Demián Bichir as Miguel; Sarah Dawn Pledge as Alawa; Kim Dickens as Emma; Warren Christie as Adam; Finlay Wojtak-Hissong as Drew

Home Release Date

April 27, 2021
Robin Wright

Distributor

Focus Features

Movie Review

Someone looking on from the outside would likely say her choices didn’t make much sense. But to Edee, they were the only way to survive.

She had suffered a crushing loss and was drowning in grief. And so, she cashed out her life in a world filled with too many raw-edged reminders, threw away her phone, stockpiled canned goods and bought a deserted, dingy cabin on an inaccessible Wyoming mountainside.

No electricity. No running water. Nothing but an old crumbling outhouse. Living in those conditions may sound insane, but to Edee it was the only way to stay sane. Being completely cut off and isolated and surrounded by nothing but thick forests of trees, snow-capped peaks and beautiful mountain vistas was Edee’s only way to emotionally and mentally survive.

Of course, there’s also physical survival to consider. And on that front, Edee isn’t doing so well. Howling snow storms, destructive animals, and a lack of hunting and trapping knowledge can leave you starving and on the verge of death out in the wilderness.

That’s exactly where Edee is now, huddled on the frozen cabin’s hard wood floor. She too weak to get wood, too weak to start a fire, too weak to move.

And then the ice-covered cabin door crunches open. And a pair of snow crusted boots steps in. Survival, it seems, comes in many forms.

Positive Elements

A passing hunter named Miguel saves Edee, having noticed on the way back from a hunt that her chimney was no longer issuing smoke. And after nursing her back to health, he promises to stop in occasionally—respecting her wish to stay away from people—and to teach her how to hunt and care for herself.

In fact, Miguel’s gentle and regular acts of self-sacrifice pave a path for Edee to move back toward more healthy choices. “Have you thought of what you want your life to look like moving forward?” he asks her. A nurse friend of Miguel’s gives of herself to help Edee, too.

Eventually we discover that the friendship Miguel and Edee establish helps them both in powerful ways.

Spiritual Elements

A native American shaman waves smoke over a dying man’s bed.

We can draw spiritual lessons from Miguel’s self-sacrificial actions. It’s clear that selflessness is woven deep into his character. [ Spoiler Warning ] And we learn later that his choices are, in part, an expression of personal repentance.

During her isolation, Edee imagines seeing loved ones who have died.

Sexual Content

Though it’s not intended to be titilating, we see Edee’s bare back and the side of her breast when she is stripped and wrapped in blankets in an effort to raise her core body temperature. She also stands with her bare back to the camera and washes herself. In another scene she lies down outside in a large tub of water. We see her bare shoulders, perhaps a bit of breast nudity (albeit very briefly) and legs.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Edee imagines her deceased husband crawling into bed with her and kissing her face and neck. She and Miguel, however, never cross any physical lines of friendship. He even sleeps in the back of his truck in the dead of winter out of respect for Edee and to avoid any misconceptions.

Violent Content

Life in the wild is hard. Edee’s hands become badly blistered from the work she does a with a saw and an axe. A large bear attacks the outhouse that Edee is stuck in and then enters her cabin and tears it apart. Other growling animals rip up the garden Edee is attempting to plant. She also is forced to jump into a quick flowing river to retrieve an important item she accidentally dropped in the current.

Winter storms batter and freeze the protagonist, too, as winter winds make it nearly impossible to get food, water or wood. The cabin freezes up. Edee loses a large part of her food supply and nearly starves to death at one point.

Edee also considers suicide several times. Early on, after a tragedy strikes, she openly questions why she still lives on. She talks with her therapist and her sister about ending it all. Later, after great hardship, she jams a rifle barrel under her chin and only stops from pulling the trigger because of a memory of her pleading sister. After that moment, Edee pins up her sister’s name in big letters on the cabin wall as a reminder to stay strong. Later, she also pins up pictures of loved ones for the same bolstering effect.

As Miguel teaches Edee how to trap and hunt, she carries and drags dead animal carcasses. And we see her and Miguel butchering bloody meat and skinning a suspended deer.

Edee is given an IV drip when severely dehydrated. We see a man in bed, dying of cancer.

Crude or Profane Language

A use of “h—” and three or four exclamations of “Oh my god!” Someone also uses the British crudity “bloody.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Other negative elements.

The camera examines Edee’s outhouse toilet, which is swarming with flies.

If you’ve seen the trailer for Land , a film starring and directed by the very talented Robin Wright, you know exactly what to expect from this film. It’s a quiet movie about a woman steeped in overwhelming grief, who isolates herself from a world of painful reminders. From the brink of suicide, she must find a way back to some modicum of healing—one agonizing step at a time. It’s a journey she’s only able to make thanks to an unexpected friendship with a kind stranger who gradually becomes a caring friend.

The acting here is intimate and moving, the cinematography, beautiful. Land declares that gentle kindness and self-sacrifice can equal grace in the face of extreme hopelessness—a message brimming with spiritual parallels.

That said, this won’t be a film for everyone. Its pacing is measured; its sadness and sense of loss are disturbingly palpable; and its conclusion is both optimistic and bittersweet.

All of these elements combined might make Land a thoughtful cinematic journey of recovery for some, but a potentially dark road for others.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Latest Reviews

In a Violent Nature

The Crow (1994)

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Review: A moving story of grief in the wild, Robin Wright’s directing debut doesn’t fully ‘Land’

Show more sharing options
Copy Link URL Copied!

The Times is committed to reviewing new theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries inherent risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC and local health officials. We will continue to note the various ways readers can see each new film, including drive-in theaters in the Southland and VOD/streaming options when available.

The seasons pass swiftly in Robin Wright’s “Land,” a visually pristine, emotionally obvious drama in which time flies and heals some but not all wounds. A story of implacable grief giving way to tentative hope, the movie follows a desperately sad-eyed woman named Edee (Wright) deep into the mountains of Wyoming, where she begins a life of solitude for reasons that are at once intensely private and not especially hard to figure out. As the years fall away, marked by cycles of autumn leaves, winter icicles and other natural wonderments, Edee’s emotional shell begins to fall away too, and on a similarly predictable schedule.

We first meet Edee as she’s making her way up the mountain, stopping briefly in town to gather supplies, load up a U-Haul and toss her cellphone, mid-ring, into the trash. She’s done with other people, as becomes clear when she arrives at a remote cabin in the woods, an edge-of-the-world perch that suggests her seeming indifference to whether she lives or dies. But while Edee can cut herself off from any contact with the outside world, she can’t short-circuit her painful memories — namely, the apparitions of her husband and young son, their happy smiles frozen in ignorance of whatever mysterious tragedy awaits them.

Other things Edee can’t do, apparently: hunt, chop firewood or keep a hungry bear from devouring her rations. Ursine visitors aside, “Land” is decidedly not “The Revenant,” as wilderness survival stories go, and I mean that largely as a compliment. Wright and her cinematographer, Bobby Bukowski, aren’t interested in rubbing the viewer’s nose in mud and viscera, and while Jesse Chatham’s screenplay makes similarly strategic use of tragedy as a narrative device, Edee is not motivated by a desire for revenge. Initially, the movie pushes more in the direction of “Wild,” another portrait of an emotionally bereft woman seeking refuge in extreme isolation, but Chatham’s more linear story has little of that movie’s bristling, time-hopping energy.

Robin Wright and Demián Bichir sit on a porch in the movie "Land."

Wright, making her feature filmmaking debut (after years of directing episodes of “House of Cards” ), seems keen to pare away essentials and steep us, for a while, in the tough rituals of everyday survival. The physical details are properly transporting, from the gloomy outhouse that greets Edee upon arrival to the cacophonous animal sounds that fill the air on her first night. (The movie was mostly shot, under suitably difficult conditions, on Moose Mountain near Banff National Park, in Canada’s Alberta province.) As lashing rain gives way to falling snow, the scenery gets prettier and incrementally more lethal. The near-death experiences that befall Edee in quick succession — that brush with the bear, the growing likelihood of death from exposure or starvation — grow naturally out of her harsh environs, even as they suggest an almost metaphysical intensification of her grief.

For all Wright’s skill at marshaling resources across this physically demanding production, it’s her unsurprisingly precise, delicate work in front of the camera that gives this story its initial pull. Edee may no longer want (or know how) to live, but her survival instincts inevitably kick in, sometimes against her own will. Instincts alone aren’t enough, of course, and “Land” would likely be even shorter than its fleet 89-minute running time were it not for the arrival of Miguel (Demián Bichir) and Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), passing Good Samaritans who nurse Edee back to health. Miguel sticks around for a while and comes back every so often, briefly raising the specter of romance. But his growing bond with Edee remains both platonic and practical-minded, as he replenishes her dwindling supplies and teaches her the basics of wilderness survival.

The specifics of the situation are only faintly sketched in; there are passing references to a nearby Indigenous reservation where Alawa lives and works as a nurse and to which Miguel delivers clean water. But while Bichir’s low-wattage charm makes Miguel a calming presence — he and Wright have a touching, bittersweet rapport — there’s never any real doubt or mystery about the narrative function he serves here. He’s there to coax Edee away from the edge of the cliff and hold up a mirror to her own tragedy, to provide a sympathetic shoulder even if she isn’t quite ready to cry on it yet. He’s also there to sing along to Tears for Fears and his other ’80s pop favorites, an amusingly awkward detail that would be more endearing if it didn’t feel so calculated to endear.

And it’s that calculation that finally makes “Land” play more like a tidy, tactful study of physical endurance and emotional recovery than a fully sustained immersion in Edee’s experience. The film’s beauty is undeniable, but it remains a pictorial, surface-level kind of beauty, one that glosses over the muck and sweat of its protagonist’s various second-act breakthroughs, whether she’s planting a garden or gutting her first carcass. Here and elsewhere, the therapeutic power of nature is treated as a given, rather than a genuinely life-altering discovery. “Land” is a movie of hard truths that go down a little too easily, a story as terse but never as elemental as its title.

Rated: PG-13, for thematic content, brief strong language and partial nudity Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes Playing: Starts Feb. 12, in general release where theaters are open

Review: An investigator on a cold case finds isolation in an outback town called ‘Limbo’

March 21, 2024

Jeffrey Wright, the star of American Fiction,

Jeffrey Wright wonders what’s next. The Pacific Ocean, for starters

Feb. 14, 2024

Review: In Denmark’s ‘The Promised Land,’ the virtues of an old-school western still blaze

Feb. 2, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Justin Chang was a film critic for the Los Angeles Times from 2016 to 2024. He won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in criticism for work published in 2023. Chang is the author of the book “FilmCraft: Editing” and serves as chair of the National Society of Film Critics and secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.

More From the Los Angeles Times

FILE - Producer Albert S. Ruddy accepts the Oscar for best picture for "The Godfather" at the 45th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 27, 1973. The Canadian-born producer and writer who won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” died Saturday, May 25, 2024, at age 94. (AP Photo, File)

Albert S. Ruddy, Oscar-winning producer of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ dies at 94

May 28, 2024

Toronto, ON, CAN - September 11: Glen Powell, with the film, "Devotion" photographed in the Los Angeles Times photo studio at RBC House, during the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto, ON, CAN, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Glen Powell initially turned down his ‘Top Gun’ role — so Tom Cruise rewrote it for him

Column: Hollywood’s high-pressure expectations game has created a box office doom loop

This 14-room brick house in Winnetka, Ill., seen Friday, May 6, 2011, and featured in the 1990 movie "Home Alone" has been put up for sale for $2.4 million. The family comedy featured a young Macaulay Culkin defending the house from intruders. The 4,250-square foot house sits on a half-acre lot about 20 miles north of Chicago. There are four bedrooms and it features the staircase that Culkin sledded down in the movie. (AP Photo/ Nam Y. Huh)

The ‘Home Alone’ house is on the market — without the booby traps — for $5.25 million

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Real-Life Heroes on YouTube for Tweens and Teens

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Intimate, occasionally dark portrait of grief and isolation.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Stresses importance of friendship, connection, com

Edee is grieving throughout the film and at certai

A bear paws at an outhouse while Edee is inside. I

Edee remembers making love to her late husband; th

Infrequent: "oh my God," "idiot," "damn," hell."

A character admits that his alcohol use may have c

Positive Messages

Stresses importance of friendship, connection, compassion, perseverance. Idea that life, no matter how difficult, is worth living resonates in the story. While nature offers beauty and sustenance, it can also be lonely and difficult to endure, so people shouldn't take it for granted, should be prepared to survive under harsh conditions. Grief is survivable, even if it never fully goes away.

Positive Role Models

Edee is grieving throughout the film and at certain points seems hopeless, even suicidal, but she slowly begins to see the value in living, in her surroundings, in making new connections. Miguel is kind, helpful, selfless.

Violence & Scariness

A bear paws at an outhouse while Edee is inside. It leaves but makes a lot of noise; later, it's obvious the bear ransacked her cabin and took (or destroyed) her food and supplies. Having trouble with the harsh conditions, Edee says "this isn't working" and puts a gun to her chin but doesn't pull the trigger. She's found unconscious, visibly blue/purple, with scarily chapped lips and on the brink of hypothermia and starvation. Others' violent or sudden deaths are discussed; grief is ever present in the film. Spoiler alert: A key character is revealed to be dying of cancer. Scenes of game hunting, including a brief moment when two characters skin a buck.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Edee remembers making love to her late husband; they're seen kissing, caressing, on a bed, but the scene focuses solely on their backs and faces. Two scenes of nonsexual partial nudity. Edee takes a bath, and her back, legs, and a quick glimpse of a breast are visible. In another scene, her breasts are revealed when she's unconscious and being undressed in order to be treated. Two characters hold hands and share lingering looks.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A character admits that his alcohol use may have contributed to an accident that killed his family. A woman has an IV attached, presumably for fluids.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Land is a quiet character study about grief, trauma, and isolation. Directed by and starring Robin Wright , it follows Edee (Wright), a melancholy lawyer who nearly dies while attempting to live off the grid. For reasons that are slowly explained in flashbacks, she doesn't seem all that interested in living, period. This is a sad, occasionally heartbreaking drama about resilience and connection in the face of seemingly insurmountable loneliness. There's a frightening bear attack, as well as scenes of game hunting (including a brief moment when two characters skin a buck). In one scene, Edee puts a gun to her chin, but she doesn't shoot. Conversations include references to violence and deaths, as well as suicidal ideation. Scenes of Edee being nursed back to health after suffering from hypothermia and starvation include nonsexual partial nudity; in another scene, she's briefly shown in the bath. Edee's connection with a local hunter named Miguel ( Demián Bichir ) borders on the romantic, but the movie's only love scene is shown in a flashback of Edee's memories. Language is infrequent and mild ("oh my God," "damn," "hell"). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (3)

Based on 3 parent reviews

Land –With All Its Challenges

What's the story.

In actor Robin Wright 's directorial debut, LAND, she plays Edee, a troubled lawyer who seeks isolation in a remote cabin where she seems intent on total self-sufficiency but instead nearly dies of starvation. Flashbacks make it clear that Edee has survived some form of tragedy that has left her devastated and nearly suicidal. She tells no one of her trip and dismisses advice from a local to keep a car with her. Roughing it goes OK for a while, until nature strikes a cruel blow. On the verge of perishing, Edee is discovered by kind hunter Miguel ( Demián Bichir ), who summons his friend Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), a nurse, to help save her. Alawa charges Miguel with looking after Edee, and they soon strike a bargain: He (and his faithful dog) will teach her how to hunt and then leave her be, no questions asked. Slowly and steadily, hunting, eating, and being with Miguel becomes a routine that pulls Edee out of her grief and despair.

Is It Any Good?

This quiet, surprisingly impactful drama is lovingly performed and directed by the talented Wright. If Nomadland is about a middle-aged woman's search for freedom on the road, Land is about a middle-aged woman's search for freedom of the soul. Both films star extraordinary actresses ( Frances McDormand and Wright, respectively) and outstanding supporting actors ( David Strathairn and Bichir) and are directed by women (Chloe Zhao and Wright). But whereas Zhao and McDormand tell an ultimately hopeful, happy tale about people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s dropping out of traditional 9-to-5 society to form their own nomadic hobo culture, Wright's story is a heartbreaking exploration of grief and stillness.

Another commonality with Nomadland is Land 's kinship to Into the Wild , but for a different, and sadder, reason. Edee's time in the cabin is reminiscent of Christopher McCandless' time in the bus. They both think they know what they're doing, but nature can be cruel, forbidding, and dangerous. Once he's (literally) in the picture, Miguel infuses a gentle warmth and humor to his interactions with Edee. He never pushes her to reveal her secrets and is content to be in the present, whether it's teaching her how to quietly stalk a deer or humming and singing "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." This isn't just one quick sing-a-long of Tears for Fears' '80s hit; he continues to sing it in several scenes, and it becomes a heartwarming anthem for the two characters, even if their singing is out of tune. Edee and Miguel's slow-burning connection brims with romantic possibility, but their bond is so transformative that it doesn't need a label to be powerful -- much like the movie itself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Land 's portrayal of grief and mental health. How does surviving trauma impact Edee? When does grief turn into more than situational depression or even suicidal ideation? How does she get help?

Discuss the character strengths that various characters demonstrate in the film. Why are perseverance and compassion important?

How does the movie depict the way a song can bring people together? What else draws Edee to Miguel? Would you consider the movie a love story of sorts?

Despite everyone's fierce independence, how do the characters help and support one another?

Movie Details

In theaters : February 12, 2021
On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2021
Cast : Robin Wright , Demian Bichir , Kim Dickens
Director : Robin Wright
Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Latino actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
Studio : Focus Features
Genre : Drama
Character Strengths : Compassion , Perseverance
Run time : 89 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : thematic content, brief strong language, and partial nudity
Last updated : November 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Into the Wild

Leave No Trace

My Side of the Mountain (1969)

Drama movies that tug at the heartstrings, movies that promote perseverance, related topics.

Perseverance

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Screen Rant

Land review: robin wright's directorial debut explores grief.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Recasting Doc Brown For A Back To The Future Remake: 10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect

Oscar-winning 2023 movie with 96% rt audience score becomes streaming success, 28 years later reportedly begins filming as zombie hordes are expected to descend on english island.

Grief is a tough subject to tackle. Everyone, at some point in life, will experience the loss of a loved one. While death and loss are typically hard to address in real life (people rarely know what to say or how to help), the exploration of such emotions are often mishandled in films that opt for a less complex or abridged version of the process. Usually, a brooding character works through the stages of grief in unhealthy ways — revenge, endless rage, or by shutting down completely. In Land , actress Robin Wright’s directorial debut, the sad, isolated feelings that come with bereavement saturate the story, but the film has surprisingly very little to say about grief.

Following a tragic loss, Edee (Wright) struggles with her grief and with being around others in general. Her sister Emma (Kim Dickens) tries to be there for her, but Edee is too far gone and unable to cope despite the support of Emma and a therapist. Needing to get away, Edee abandons her phone and her previous life in exchange for a quiet and peaceful existence in the Wyoming wilderness. However, life isn’t exactly easy in the wild and Edee has no idea what she’s doing at first, believing that her solitary confinement would assuage some of her sadness. Caught in a treacherous blizzard, Edee’s life is saved by local hunter Miguel (Demián Bichir) and nurse Alawa Crow (Sarah Dawn Pledge) and she must contend with her new lease on life.

Related: Land Trailer: Robin Wright Faces The Wild In Directorial Debut

Wright’s performance is devastating and heartbreaking. As Edee, she keeps Miguel at arm’s length as they forge a friendship that is grounded in the need for human contact and an unspoken respect for each other’s boundaries. Wright is distant, but slowly opens herself up as the film goes on, something which is exposed through her changes in body language. Miguel is a friend of convenience at first, someone who can teach Edee the way of life she’s stubbornly chosen for herself. Bichir is wonderful here, effusing a formidable, yet gentle, strength and kindness that quickly earns Edee’s trust.

Together, the characters commune and listen to ‘80s music, though there’s a wide chasm between them due to Edee’s unwillingness to speak on her personal loss. In addition to the superb acting, Land’s sense of serenity is brought to life through lingering shots of the wilderness’ beauty. Snow-capped mountains and trees, the sounds of animals and running river water, and the undisturbed lushness of nature adds to the calming sense of quiet that Edee is chasing. As a director, Wright has an eye for such things, knowingly layering the story with details that bring the audience into Edee's secluded life.

However, for a film that is only a cool hour and a half long, Land often feels agonizingly slow. The script — written by Jesse Chatham with revisions by Erin Dignam — also leaves a lot to be desired. How short-sighted Edee must be to think she could move on from her loss by being alone in the wilderness. While her early feelings of not being comfortable being around people are understandable, there's a sense of privilege in being able to leave it all behind and escape. What's more, Edee effectively runs away from her emotions rather than allowing herself to face them head on. Her inability to talk about her loss is relatable, but the film has nothing much to say about grief or the healing process.

The character's own avoidance ultimately forces Land to stand still. Rather than explore the complexities of handling loss in a world that would want Edee to move on, the film is filled with long, quiet brooding that falls incredibly short of being fulfilling. The landscape and setting often act as substitutes for character development and exploration. Time seems to pass without consequence as the calm fills in the gap for proper introspection. For a film that centers the quiet sadness and mental retreat of grief, Land equivocates with regards to the topic, stifling any meaningful growth.

Next: The Most Anticipated Movies of 2021

Land will be released in theaters on February 12. The film is 89 minutes long and is rated PG-13 thematic content, brief strong language, and partial nudity.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments!

Our Rating:

Movie Reviews
2.5 star movies

Robin Wright on Making Her Directorial Debut With Land

"I wanted to make a film about kindness and human resilience."

Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

Robin Wright made her directorial debut with Land , about a grieving woman who retreats to the Wyoming Rockies.
Land is available to watch in theaters and stream at home starting on February 12.

The mountains were calling Edee Mathis, the protagonist in Robin Wright's feature directorial debut, Land , and she decided to go. Whether or not she was prepared for the mountains was another story. Out February 12, days after its Sundance premiere, Land is the sparse, surprisingly hopeful tale of a woman who retreats into a glimmering and cruel Wyoming Rockies after her life collapses.

"It's very difficult when you're seeing the people you love be in pain because you're in pain," Wright tells OprahMag.com of Edee's decision to retreat to the woods and throw away her phone. After Miguel (Damien Bichir), a fellow off-the-gridder, saves her from a near-death experience, Edee learns she may not be able to make it on her own after all. Based on Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam's screenplay, Land is about "kindness and human resilience," Wright says.

director actor robin wright left on the set of her feature directorial debut land, a focus features release credit daniel power focus features

Wright has directed herself previously, stepping into a leadership position in House of Cards when her co-star Kevin Spacey was fired from the show for sexual assault allegations.

Even with that experience, Land , which was filmed over the course of 29 days atop Moose Mountain in Alberta, Canada , posed extreme challenges. "We lived the movie that we shot," Wright says. She slept in a trailer on the top of the mountain, near Edee's cabin. "It was so cold in that cabin. All the breath you see, that's the real deal." Since nature was an integral part of Edee's arc, Wright says, filming there was necessary.

Speaking to OprahMag.com, Wright tells us about bears visiting the set, communing with nature, and whether or not she'd recommend Edee's lifestyle.

You said that you "lived the movie" you made. What was it like switching between actor and director in that environment?

I had three great female producers on the set all day every day that were my backbone. Could not have done it without them. When I'd get in front of the camera and do the job of acting, they would take the reins. I would get in the emotional place needed, do a take or two, and then lean out the cabin door and say, "Should I do it again? Do you think we need something different?" They would give me notes. They were very helpful.

Much of this movie is about trust—trusting other people and letting them in. Did it feel like you had that kind of environment on set?

Completely. You're blessed to feel that trust because it takes half of the weight off of your shoulders. It's a lot to direct—a lot of questions are being posed to you all day, every day. Then, you switch hats and become an actor. My hats go off to them . We're all directing the movie. It's not just one person ever. Everyone's a participant and that's the beauty of it. It's the collaboration.

I heard bears visited the set. Have you been surprised by how much of the press conversation has revolved around them?

The bears were exciting and really scary too. Thank goodness we had our bear whisperer.

What was the most daunting part of filming Land ?

I have to say the bears. The bear wanted to be our roommate. He showed up one day and got a hamburger off the craft services table and that was all she wrote. He wanted a hamburger every day so he returned every day. We would have to sometimes pause shooting and everyone had to be very still, no movement. Our bear whisperer would get out there with this little instrument that made this sound that would shoo him off.

We had a bear scene in the movie. We couldn't even have a real bear on set because the wild bears would have been a risk for the trained bear. Then we were laughing. We were like, "Maybe if we got the trained bear, maybe he wouldn't have come out of his trailer. Maybe he would have been a diva bear."

robin wright stars as "edee" in her feature directorial debut land, a focus features release credit daniel power focus features

There are moments in which Edee is quite unprepared. How self-aware is Edee about her mission?

It's not even a decision of survival versus suicide. It's, I need to erase myself and become anew. Because that person that was , the existence that I once knew will never be again. It is a recreation. It is a rebirth—but when she gets up there, no matter how many manuals she read about how to survive in the wild, nature's a beast and it kicks her butt.

Then, what I keep calling an angel, comes into her life. She redeems herself. She's like, "Yes, I can see the light." That generally takes somebody else helping guide you to that realization.

While playing Edee, you had to learn survival skills. You literally skinned an animal.

I was trying to hold my stomach from being sick when I was skinning the animal. That was really tough. I don't think I could do that for real.

Edee lasts two years on the mountain. Did you give any thought to how long you might last in a cabin like that?

I did. I was thinking I could probably last a weekend or a week up there. I've always laughed during these interviews with Damien where I'm like, "I think I would be much more comfortable if I had my mountain man friend, Miguel, with me."

While watching, I thought of those stories of people who were in nature when the pandemic started and returned to a different world. Did you think of them?

Very much so. If we could all imagine disconnecting from our devices...what an amazing feeling that must be, to just not have any of that noise. You just bring your books that you love or music that you want to hear. It's incredible medicine to do something like that. But I know it's a necessity for our work, especially now with everything being from home.

preview for House of Cards Season 6 trailer (Netflix)

The movie reminded me a bit of Wild or Eat Pray Love —women leaving their lives behind.

Everybody grieves in their own way. We were trying to get myopic with this one person's journey. We're not claiming to state that we know what everybody goes through in the end—if they come out on the other side. But the beautiful, empowering and uplifting ending of this movie spoke to where we are right now, what we've been enduring for the last four years and this last year in particular. There's light at the end of the tunnel. It generally happens with the help of the kindness and compassion of another human being. I wanted that movie to be made, that message to be shared because I feel like we as society need more of that and less ugliness.

Is that the reason you wanted to make this movie?

It was that very thing. I wanted to make a film about kindness and human resilience, because that's a much more positive message than all the tweets that we had to to listen to for the last few years.

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!

Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily.

Culture & News

immigration books like long island colm tóibín oprah's book club

Céline Dion Reveals "My Heart Will Go On" Secret

los angeles, california february 04 l r elliot grainge and sofia richie grainge attend the 66th grammy awards at cryptocom arena on february 04, 2024 in los angeles, california photo by kevin mazurgetty images for the recording academy

Sofia Richie Welcomes Baby Girl Eloise

6 Steamy Summer Romance Novels

Take a Tour of Colm Tóibín’s Ireland

How Harry and Meghan Marked 6 Years Married

Dive into These Sizzling Summer Reads

How to Find the Books Your Kids Will Read

Loved Long Island ? Read These Books Next

2024 vanity fair oscar party hosted by radhika jones arrivals

Sofia Vergara on Aging and "All-White Hair"

Katie Holmes and Suri Coordinate in Baggy Denim

Discovering good movies, one bad movie at a time

Land (2021)

Cabinessence, connect with us.

Support The Show

Land (2021) Ending Explained – Will Emma Survive All by Herself in Wyoming?

When a tragedy strikes us, it often feels like the end of everything we know and love, a theme poignantly explored in the film “Land.” This psychological drama, directed by and starring Robin Wright, delves into the depths of despair and the journey toward finding a new meaning in life. Edee Holzer, portrayed by Wright, faces a devastating tragedy that makes her contemplate giving up on life itself. Land (2021) ending brings a powerful closure to her journey, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit.

Edee seeks therapy to recover but soon decides to escape to a remote place, far from people and the life she once knew. Initially, it seems she seeks a fresh start, but as time passes, her desire to end her life gradually intensifies. “Land” addresses existential questions about the source of life’s meaning, our ability to live in solitude, and the essence of existence. The film’s slow-paced, melancholic narrative, enriched with beautiful scenic frames, invites viewers to reflect on these profound themes.

The background music in “Land” resonates with the viewer’s emotions, aligning them with Edee’s struggles in Wyoming. Her journey of overcoming immense challenges, aided by a stranger’s unexpected kindness, illustrates the unpredictability of life and the reasons that can emerge to renew hope. This exploration culminates in the film’s ending, offering a compelling testament to the unpredictable paths our lives can take in the face of adversity.

Land (2021) Plot Summary & Synopsis:

Edee Holzer’s husband, Adam (Warren Christie), and son, Drew (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) were shot by a random shooter at a concert hall. And therefore, Edee is completely shattered. She doesn’t know what to do. At the advice of her sister Emma (Kim Dickens), she meets a therapist who she thinks will work out the magic and help her overcome her trouble. After the tragic incident, Edee lost trust and faith in people.

She finds it difficult to be around people who she believes want her to be better at all times. When the therapist asks her why she finds it difficult to share her life with others, she replies that she doesn’t want to share her feelings and that she doesn’t want others to have a share in what she feels. Edee is reluctant to share what she is going through and has to live alone with the pain she is enduring after losing her beloved husband and son.

Land (2021): Movie Ending, Explained - Will Emma Survive All by Herself in Wyoming?

Edee’s escape to a foreign land

Wanting to escape the judging and constant questioning, Edee travels to Wyoming carrying her food and other basic requirements. She purchases a small house on the hilltop surrounded by Shoshone National Forest and tribal land and wants not to be affected by the noise of the competitive world. She gets rid of her mobile and car to keep away from the modern world.

The house she has purchased needs a makeover, it is old and has collected dust. There is an easy chance of animals like a coyote or a bear being her unwelcomed guests. Edee reads books, trying to learn to survive in this land she has come to. At the same time, she is reminded of the pain and trauma, and she constantly asks herself, “Why am I here anymore?”. The words of her sister Emma, “Don’t hurt yourself,” give her the courage to move forward. She tries to chop firewood and do some fishing but to no avail.

When nothing is working for Edee

In one instance, a bear breaks into her house and eats all her supplies. Edee is left with no supplies and no firewood to keep herself warm. Thus, she tries to shoot herself with the hunting rifle. But reminded by the words of her sister Emma she stops. A snowstorm strikes the place, and her house’s dislodged metal roof needs repairs. But attempting to repair she is hurt and injured. Luckily, a local hunter Miguel (Demian Bichir), sees Edee in need of help, and, assisted by Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), a nurse, they both rescue Edee.

Good-hearted Miguel provides the supplies and takes care of her. He teaches her to hunt and accompanies her for a few days. He also leaves his dog, Potter, to be taken care of by Edee. Edee is thankful to Miguel for his kindness and slowly opens up to the idea of interacting with the world, in other words, to know about life outside the place where she lives.

Miguel shares with Edee his life story of losing his wife and daughter in a car accident. Edee learns to survive all by herself, from hunting to planting a few vegetables, far from being destroyed by the animals. Later, she learns that Miguel is on his deathbed suffering from throat cancer. He tells Edee that he was a drunkard and he was driving the car when the accident happened. He also tells Edee that she has taught him how to die in a state of grace. She, in return, tells him that he has taught her to want to live again.

Land (2021) Ending Explained:

Living alone seems sometimes a solution to all the problems we encounter. It may sometimes make us feel that life is better when we do not interact with the troubled world. But every living condition has its own problems. When Edee thinks that she is safe enough with the supplies she purchased and when she thinks that she can survive in a foreign land without interaction or modern equipment, the presence of animals around her and punishing weather makes her life vulnerable to danger. She didn’t think of a backup or deliberately chose not to have a backup.

What happens to Edee when the bear eats all the supplies?

When she is in a cabin near her house, she hears a bear growling, which walks straight to her home. The bear destroys all her supplies and eats all of them, leaving nothing for Edee. Edee thus is lost and doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t know to hunt, and whatsoever she plants are destroyed by the animals. Thus, Edee thinks to herself that nothing is working.

She loses hope to survive. All her attempts at survival are watered down, and hence she gives up on life. Already she had lost the battle, and yet again, when this tragedy strikes, it affirms her thought to end her life. The bear’s entry into her house symbolizes storms, difficulties, and challenges that can, again and again, come into her life.

The question is whether she will be able to face them bang-on. Edee needs a companion to take care of her. To make her feel loved. And the only persons to do that were her husband, son, and beloved sister. And at the moment, she was just left to herself as she had lost her husband and son and was far away from her sister.

Why does Miguel choose to help Edee?

Miguel was on his way back when he noticed Edee on the floor and chose to help her. Seeking the help of Alawa, a nurse, he medicates Edee. Miguel believes in doing the right thing, and he doesn’t receive the money that Edee wants to pay him for the help rendered. When Miguel lost his wife and daughter, Miguel was the driver, and he was drunk, so he took responsibility for the death of his wife and daughter. Thus, this time when he sees Edee struggle alone, he decides to be alert and responsible. Miguel takes the opportunity to reconcile himself. He learns to forgive himself. And by making this kind gesture, Miguel wants to give hope to Edee.

Miguel helps Edee by taking care of her when she is sick. He helps by accompanying her when she is lonely. He brings her some food supplies, does her medical tests, and gets the reports to Edee. Miguel also teaches Edee to hunt to be able to survive in the foreign land. He helps Edee, respecting her decision to reside in a secluded place. Moreover, Miguel doesn’t enforce his ideas onto her but just calmly accompanies and teaches Edee that there are very many reasons we have at our disposal to choose to survive.

Will Emma Survive All by Herself in Wyoming?

Emma does survive all by herself in Wyoming but not instantly. It is a gradual process. When she goes to Wyoming, she thinks she will survive despite cutting ties with the outside world. Therefore, she instantly gets rid of the car and remains cocooned in the dilapidated house. She gathers all of her supplies only to have them devoured and eaten by a bear later. She loses hope but regains her courage when Miguel comes to her aid. Subsequently, she learns to hunt and also defend herself against wild animals. Miguel, a stranger who helps her without expecting anything in return, teaches her how to survive and live again.

“Land” takes us through a bitter-sweet journey of Edee’s life and makes us think that despite our life being vulnerable, we ought to learn to find meaning and fight to survive no matter what obstacles we may face. And that there are ample reasons to live despite the tragedies that strike us.

Cuttputlli Movie Ending, Explained: Why does the killer murder school-going girls?

Kota Factory (Season 2) Netflix Review – One of the few continuations that surprisingly works

[Watch] Zeroville Trailer: Get Onboard The Pineapple Express to 60’s Hollywood

Hunt Her, Kill Her (2023) Movie Review: A Taut Survival Horror that’s Lacking in Motive

Stray Bodies (2024) ‘CPH: Dox’ Review – Health Tourism In The EU and A Bunch Of Other Impossible Debates

Suncoast (2024) Movie Review: A Gentle Dramedy that Effortlessly Tackles the Morbid Themes of Death and Ethics

LAND OF BAD

"bloody, excessive special ops mission".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Rage by the main character as he impales an enemy and smashes his head in with a rock.

More Detail:

LAND OF BAD is a war movie about a U.S. Army special ops mission to the Philippines, to retrieve an official intelligence asset. When rebels ambush the unit, the Americans operation must rely on a lone Air Force drone operator in the deadly 48-hour mission. There are some sacrificial moments and loyalty between the soldiers; however, the movie is wrought with gratuitous, bloody violence, torture, obscenity, and profanity. So, Movieguide gives this a hard pass for all audiences.

A seemingly unqualified Air Force drone operator, who goes by the name of Playboy, is enlisted on a special mission with Tier One U.S. Army Soldiers. The special operations unit has little confidence in Playboy’s experience or ability. Once landed, they head to the target area. Instead of recovering the asset, they are ambushed. Playboy battles his way through explosions and bullets, as he directs strategic bomb placements from Eddie “Reaper” Grimm, the drone commander back in Las Vegas.

Playboy believes himself to be the only survivor. Reaper guides him to an evacuation site. The two men bond over the air waves. Reaper requests to be kept in the control seat until the mission is complete. However, Playboy is captured, and Reaper loses Playboy’s location.

The unit’s Master Sargent, “Sugar,” surprises Playboy by turning up alive to rescue him from captivity. Sugar informs Playboy that a member of their unit was taken hostage during the ambush. They decide to rescue him at the rebel compound.

Playboy constructs a makeshift radio to contact Reaper to request strategically timed bombs to be dropped on the compound. They lose the signal, however. Also, Reaper is ordered to leave the drone command seat because he’s been on the mission for 18 hours straight.

Sugar and Playboy reach the rebel leaders. They engage in bloody hand-to hand combat. A grenade is thrown at them. The pair are taken captive and imprisoned in a cave. Sugar is badly injured. Playboy must battle through to save himself, Sugar, the asset, and the other captured soldier.

Eventually, the biggest threat to them is a bomb about to be dropped on the rebel compound, by Playboy’s own order.

LAND OF BAD should have relied more on its suspenseful story than gratuitous violence and obscene language. With its star lineup for a cast, the movie could have been a real winner. As the drone commander in Las Vegas, Russell Crowe gives an exceptional performance, however. The movie also has some touching moments where main characters sacrifice their lives to save others. There is also some interesting dialogue about the morality of a war fought with technology versus a war fought in hand-to-hand combat on the ground.

Finally, a main character gives a positive comment regarding marriage. He says, “A wedding is probably the greatest social ritual humanity has. . . . The most important day of your life. You might as well get it right. You’re only gonna do it once.”

It’s doubly sad, therefore, that LAND OF BAD has at least 145 obscenities and profanities and so many scenes of excessive bloody violence, including torture scenes. Such an excessive combination is unacceptable.

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

‘To a Land Unknown’ Review: This Palestinian Twist on ‘Midnight Cowboy’ Is Full of Masterful Storytelling and Wrenching Humanity

Sophie monks kaufman.

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Share on LinkedIn
Show more sharing options
Submit to Reddit
Post to Tumblr
Print This Page
Share on WhatsApp

The brilliant Palestinian-Danish documentarian Mahdi Fleifel (“A World Not Ours”) leaps successfully into fiction with a feature debut that borrows a narrative container from “Midnight Cowboy” and a tormented soul that is all Palestinian.

Fleifel drops a pin in Athens, Greece, which represents limbo for Palestinian cousins, Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) and Reda (Aram Sabbah). They have previously made it out of a refugee camp in Lebanon only to find themselves so near but yet so far away from their desired destination of Germany. “ To a Land Unknown ” is a social realist drama buoyed by two gorgeous central performances, a nuanced portrait of a mercurial male relationship told with assurance and steel. Irrespective of how fully and tenderly the characters are drawn, destiny is written in still bolder strokes.

But the cousins don’t know this. Once in the promised land, Chatila plans to send for his wife Nabila and their 3-year-old child, as both are currently still in the refugee camp in Lebanon. They will open a cafe in an Arab-friendly district. Nabila will cook. Chatila will have an office with a big ashtray. Reda will be the barman and the first face that customers see. It is a beautiful, tragic, expressive face, with long eyelashes and a drooping sadness. He is both Chatila’s closest ally and his biggest liability, for he acutely feels how far they are sliding from a “normal” life and has a bad habit of spending their hard earned cash on heroin relapses.

These two performers feed off each other in a dance that is never static. They are from the same place, they want the same things, they forgive each other because who else could they find to fill that same role. Unlike in a million rote and gritty thrillers of yore, there is no scarcity of love in this picture. What makes “To a Land Unknown” so powerful is its fulsomely written and inhabited male characters.

One morning, in the square that they use to stake out marks, they meet Malik (Mohammed Alsurafa), a plucky boy from Gaza who wants to make it to Italy to be live with his aunt. Later on in the same day, Chatila meets a Greek woman, Tatiana (Angeliki Papoulia), who is a little lost, a little attracted to him. She sees in him what he is too busy surviving to notice: that he is young and beautiful. He sees in her the citizenship that means she can travel freely.

The film is in constant negotiation with how much suffering we can mete out and take in before our soul collapses, like soggy cardboard. After a semantic discussion on whether “helping a boy” and “people smuggling” are the same thing, the film decides that both are true and, furthermore, that both will happen. So, the wheels are set in motion to smuggle Malik into Italy, first securing Tatiana’s help. Her character is full of its own soft and hard places, she sees through Chatila and still consents to do what he wants, partly out of desire, partly through the lack of it and partly because she has negotiated a cut of what Malik’s aunt will pay. No character is presented in a straightforward light. Fleifel understands that people are teeming masses of contradictions. No one is wholly good or wholly bad, although the most sensitive amongst us cannot stand the way the most calloused amongst us can be.

Fleifel masterfully tees up the characters and their high-stakes job to the point that one cannot advance without impactful implications for the other. There is pain in store for a new group of people who have already experienced more than their fair of share of it, but this is just a byproduct of the story moving forward, according to its own unstoppable engine. “To a Land Unknown” is a tour-de-force of empathic storytelling, with its genre narrative bursting with an overabundance of humanity. The unexpected, far-away place that Said references is expressed fully, as both a geographical reality and a soul in exile.

“To a Land Unknown” premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

Most Popular

Movie Review – The Promised Land (2023)

May 27, 2024 by Robert Kojder

The Promised Land , 2023.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristine Kujath, Thorp Gustav, Lindh Jacob, Ulrik Lohmann, Morten Hee Andersen, Magnus Krepper, Felix Kramer, Thomas W. Gabrielsson, Søren Malling, Olaf Højgaard, Melina Hagberg, and Morten Burian.

The story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong dream: To make the heath bring him wealth and honor.

A cautionary tale about the price one pays to join an elite high society of noblemen and a surprisingly heartwarming tale about a found family, director Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land (marking the filmmaker’s return to Danish features after a woeful misfire adapting Stephen King’s The Dark Tower ) is an arresting, marvelously shot historical 18th-century epic about an ambitious former German Army captain letting humanity take over his motives. His gradual softening change in behavior somewhat comes easily, considering that the obstacle in his way is a spoiled, psychopathic county judge who is under the impression that the land this general is trying to tame for potential settlement is his and is aware that allowing such a thing to happen would lessen his importance.

Written alongside Anders Thomas Jensen and based on the novel by Ida Jessen (and inspired by real events), the bastard war veteran is Mads Mikkelsen’s Ludvig von Kahlen, determined to garner favor with the King and attain all the wealth and status he could dream of, plans to do so by defying the odds and proving that crops can be grown on the Jutland Heath. The financial treasury wing of the royal advisors is condescending, insisting it can’t be done and is disinterested in lending him the funds to hire the necessary workers and purchase the necessary resources to do so, but have, to an extent, assuming that he will perish during the grueling endeavor while also appearing as if they’re fulfilling the King’s wishes.

The hardened and emotionally steely Ludvig makes do with the pitiful financial allowance he has been granted, resorting to employing a runaway couple hiding from their sadistic master, Johannes and Ana Barbera (played by Morten Hee Andersen and Amanda Collins, respectively), while also strong-arming a “dark-skinned” orphan who routinely serves as a disarming decoy for a band of outlaws (looking to rob and steal from anyone they can wandering the area) into directly bringing him to their encampment to strike a service arrangement.

It turns out that your highness and Ana are seeking sanctuary away from the previously mentioned demented landowner Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), a detestable nutjob with an evil smirk who frequently abuses and rapes his Manor servants, all while pressuring his cousin Edel (Kristine Kujath Thorp) into marriage. Naturally, this intensely complicates everything Ludvig is setting out to do. with Frederik making their task more of a living nightmare than the earthly elements of the world. There are several scenes of torture and shocking, disturbing behavior, but the performance is calibrated in such a way that it feels sincere and horrifying rather than over-the-top for shock value.

Even when the arduous land taming is going well for Ludvig, he has to contend with difficult choices that force him to question what is more important; accomplishing the supposedly impossible and elevating his place in the world or the life of a foul-mouthed but sweet child that racist settlers will deem a bad luck curse to the settlement. In that respect, the very people Ludvig is building this settlement for are infuriatingly cruel for different reasons. Mads Mikkelsen lets all of this weigh on his face with deep thought and soul-shaking conflict as only he can, delivering an incredible performance that only gets richer the longer the film goes on. It’s also worth mentioning that there is a romantic aspect here that doesn’t feel forced.

With The Promised Land , Nikolaj Arcel has crafted an exhilarating experience grounded in humanity’s cruelty and compassion; it’s a muscular-mounted, action-packed tale bursting with profound emotional dynamics, sweet vengeance, and beautifully human storytelling.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

10 Essential Films From 1974

How Marvel’s X-Men ’97 Returned the Mutants to Their Glory

The Most Iconic Moments of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Forgotten Modern Horror Classics That Deserve More Love

Four Weddings and a Funeral at 30: The Quintessentially British Romantic Comedy

Ranking The Best Episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series

Godzilla at 10: The Movie That Launched the MonsterVerse Revisited

The Most Shocking Movies of the 1970s

Why is CGI Getting Worse?

The Enviable “Worst” Films of David Fincher

Comic Books
Video Games
Toys & Collectibles
Articles and Opinions
About Flickering Myth
Write for Flickering Myth
Advertise on Flickering Myth
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy

Mother Land Review

E ven before it starts, Park Jae-beom 's gorgeous film, Mother Land , has a lot to be proud of. It's the first fully stop-motion animated South Korean film in decades, and even outside of that, these types of films are so rarely seen across the globe. It's not overly long, clocking in at just over an hour, but it manages to accomplish a lot within that timeframe, giving us a grounded story full of heart that's sure to entertain people of all ages.

Two Young Siblings Embark on a Grand Adventure

Mother Land introduces us to the Yates family, a nomadic tribe of reindeer herders living in the frozen Siberian tundra. After a particularly nasty snow season, the tribe's matriarch, Shoora, falls ill. After both traditional and modern forms of medicine fail, the family are advised by an old shaman woman to seek the aid of the master of the forest, an ancient being in the form of a giant bear with red eyes that resides in the nearby forest and watches over the land.

Against the wishes of her parents, Krisha, the young daughter of the tribe, sneaks away and embarks on a journey to reach the master of the forest and save her mother, believing herself to have some sort of unexplainable connection to the master of the forest. She brings only her pet reindeer with her as company, but unbeknownst to Krisha, her younger brother, Kolya, has also joined the voyage, concealed in her belongings.

From here, it's a coming-of-age story for Krisha and Kolya. At the film's onset, they have the typical adversarial relationship that one might expect from two youngsters in the early stages of their lives. Krisha is on the cusp of prepubescent maturity, and here she faces her first real test in learning to act as a protector and ally to her sibling, who in turn must learn that there are certain things in life that must be taken seriously.

A Simple Story About Tradition vs. Modernity

At its core, the film is a simple, grounded tale of humanity vs nature , tradition vs modernity; the stark contrast between nature's traditions and civilization's machinations are constantly on full display. There's a telling scene early on where Shoora is given pills brought to her from a nearby village, only to immediately vomit them up.

Related: Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies, Ranked

The piece's villains, Vladimir and Bazak, are a pair of hunters sent by the government to take down the master of the forest and show the nomadic people of the land that there is no magic protecting them, and that they need the might of the government to keep them safe. Vladimir is a scumbag who's willing to pay huge sums of money to just about anyone to make sure that they achieve their goals, and Bazak is just the kind of manipulatable tortured soul he needed to hire for the job.

Breathtaking Visuals and Strong Performances

Throughout the journey, the film's visuals are breathtaking. Great pains where taken to illustrate small details, which can't have been easy, given our densely populated with foliage, moss, and small creatures a forest environment can be. The types of locales and props on display are more varied than one might expect from a film like this, and every scene is brimming with color, even those set against the bleakest snowstorm are vibrant and alive.

The action pieces are exciting and gripping, losing nothing in the chosen medium. Further still, the stop-motion adds a sense of magic and wonder that's often missing from high budget family flicks.

Related: 9 Kids Movies That Are Actually Hilarious

The great voice performances also help add a strong layer of depth. Even for those unfamiliar with the spoken language, it's easy enough to tell that lots of care went into crafting how each character sounded. Lead performers Lee Jun-Yi and Kim Ye-eun, who play Krisha and her mother, respectively, provide the emotional core of the film, and do a lot of the heavy lifting in bringing the scenes to life. Lee Yong-nyeo also provides a fantastic, scenery-chewing performance as the old shaman woman. It's easy enough to tell that she's having a great time.

It also helps when the subtitles are well-translated clearly, which they were, so credit where credit's due in that department as well.

Mother Land Is a Must-See for the Whole Family

Mother Land is a film that will entertain the whole family, and it doesn't have a mean bone in its body. That's not to say that it doesn't contain a few surprises - there were one or two moments where theater-goers audibly gasped during the premiere. It's likely to evoke the same emotions as those classic Rankin Bass animations, where, even if for just a short period of time, it feels like magic could be real.

Mother Land had its North American premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal on July 30th, 2023. Make sure to watch this space for more information regarding the film's wide release.

Adam Driver Sex Tape, Shia LaBeouf in Drag and Dominatrix Aubrey Plaza Land Divisive ‘Megalopolis’ a 7-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes

By Ellise Shafer

Ellise Shafer

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour: Every Surprise Song She’s Played So Far 2 hours ago
Francis Ford Coppola Presents George Lucas With Honorary Palme d’Or as the Iconic Directors Reflect on an ‘Association That Has Lasted a Lifetime’ 4 days ago
How ‘Anora’s’ Ivy Wolk Went From TikTok Controversy to Acting in Sean Baker’s Sex Worker Dramedy 4 days ago

D. B. Sweeney, Grace VanderWaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Francis Ford Coppola, Romy Croquet Mars, Adam Driver, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter and Chloe Fineman at the "Megalopolis" screening and red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival held at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2024 in Cannes, France.

Is Francis Ford Coppola ’s controversial magnum opus “ Megalopolis ” any good?

The two hour and 20 minute dystopian drama certainly divided the audience at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night with its collision course of shocking scenes: a doctored sex tape featuring Adam Driver , Shia LaBeouf in drag playing a Trumpian figure and Aubrey Plaza dominating her way through a slew of men.

Popular on Variety

Speaking of family, Coppola was flanked by his sister Talia Shire and granddaughter Romy Mars — known for her viral TikTok about her parents, Sofia Coppola and “Phoenix” frontman Thomas Mars, not letting her charter a helicopter — who has a small role in the film.

“Megalopolis” has confounded critics and Coppola fans alike for its wide scope and deep allegory for the director’s career. There was even a moment during the film, when Driver’s character was being interviewed by the press, that a man came on stage to speak the dialogue of the scene into a microphone. The lights came on, startling some in the audience, but viewers stayed silent, as they had for most of the movie.

Once inside, Coppola was greeted by a standing ovation before the movie began. He blew kisses to audience members, who clapped in sync for the filmmaker, and sat down between Shire and Driver. Other Coppola family members, including his nephew Jason Schwartzman (who also has a role in the film) and Mars, attended to support the director.

One of the few stars not in the film to attend the premiere was Richard Gere, who headlines Paul Schrader’s competition entry “Oh, Canada.” He sat in the row in front of Coppola and congratulated him after, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Adam Driver helps Francis Ford Coppola up the stairs at the #Cannes2024 premiere of ‘Megalopolis.’ pic.twitter.com/9G6NeYOGL4 — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) May 16, 2024

“Megalopolis” marks the director’s first film in over a decade, since 2011’s “Twixt.” The sci-fi drama follows architect Cesar Catilina (Driver), who after an accident destroys a New York City-esque metropolis, works to rebuild it as a sustainable utopia. Corrupt mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito) challenges Cesar and wants to stick to the status quo, but his daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) comes between the two men.

Coppola has been trying to make “Megalopolis” for decades, eventually using $120 million of his own money from his wine empire to produce the film. Controversy has surrounded the film as its premiere has approached, as its expense and reportedly muted responses to early screenings have made it difficult to secure distribution. However, Le Pacte has acquired the French distribution rights to the film and Goodfellas has signed on to handle international sales. It is competing for the Palme d’Or.

“Megalopolis” also stars Shire, Jon Voight, Grace VanderWaal, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, Fineman, Madeleine Gardella, Balthazar Getty, Bailey Ives, Isabelle Kusman, James Remar and D. B. Sweeney.

Considered one of the greatest directors of all time for classics like “The Godfather” saga and “Apocalypse Now,” Coppola has a long history with the Cannes Film Festival. He has won the Palme d’Or twice, for 1974’s “The Conversation” and 1979’s “Apocalypse Now.” He also served as the festival’s competition jury president in 1996.

More From Our Brands

Sarah silverman retired her formative ‘arrogant ignorant’ character after trump rise, this decade-old turkish superyacht has returned to the seas bigger and better than before, cristiano ronaldo, binance sell nfts despite legal challenges, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, chicago p.d. boss gives an update on burgess and ruzek’s wedding — will it happen in season 12, verify it's you, please log in.

How To Land your Dream Job (How To Mondays)

Podcast Episode

Add a plot in your language

User reviews

May 28, 2024 (United States)
See more company credits at IMDbPro

movie reviews land

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

Movie Reviews

Brian Tallerico

Now playing

Taking Venice

Clint Worthington

We Grown Now

Mother of the Bride

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Land (2021)

Cinematographer

Latest blog posts

Neon’s Five Palme d’Or Winners, Ranked

The 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Unveils Its Official Selection

Saved! at 20: Religious Satire and the Millennial Generation

Killer Klowns from Outer Space Is a Total Blast

‘Land’ Review: True Nature

Explore More in TV and Movies

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

Land Reviews

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

site categories

Sheri Linden

Related Stories

Robin Wright on How Her Directorial Debut, 'Land,' Captures Resilience Amid Grieving

THR Newsletters

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Land (2021) Review

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Content Caution

In Theaters

Home Release Date

Distributor

Movie Review

Positive Elements

Spiritual Elements

Sexual Content

Violent Content

Crude or Profane Language

Drug and Alcohol Content

Latest Reviews

In a Violent Nature

The Crow (1994)

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Review: A moving story of grief in the wild, Robin Wright’s directing debut doesn’t fully ‘Land’

More to Read

Review: An investigator on a cold case finds isolation in an outback town called ‘Limbo’

Jeffrey Wright wonders what’s next. The Pacific Ocean, for starters

Review: In Denmark’s ‘The Promised Land,’ the virtues of an old-school western still blaze

More From the Los Angeles Times

Albert S. Ruddy, Oscar-winning producer of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ dies at 94

Glen Powell initially turned down his ‘Top Gun’ role — so Tom Cruise rewrote it for him

Column: Hollywood’s high-pressure expectations game has created a box office doom loop

The ‘Home Alone’ house is on the market — without the booby traps — for $5.25 million

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

Real-Life Heroes on YouTube for Tweens and Teens

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

A Lot or a Little?

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models