Land is a 2021 drama film directed by Robin Wright in her directorial debut. It stars Wright, Damian Bichir and Kim Dickens. The film follows the story of a grieving widowed woman who seeks a new life off the grid in the mountains of Wyoming.

After experiencing trauma Edee Holzer (wright) is in the middle of therapy, telling to the therapist that she doesn’t like to be around people because she doesn’t think it’s right that they share her pain. Wanting to escape, she leaves the city where she lives and moves to Wyoming where she purchases a small remote cabin and is determined to live in solitude without any modern conveniences to bring her to outside world, including telephones or cars.

At first, she struggles with the basics of survival like chopping wood and fishing. When a black bear enters her cabin, eats her food and destroys most of the rest of her supplies while she hides from them, she reaches her breaking point. Without fire for food or heat, she tries to hunt but cannot bring herself to shoot a deer. Not knowing what to do next, she tries to take her life by shooting herself with the hunting rifle, stopping short when she remembers her sister Emma (Dickens) pleading not to hurt herself.

During an extreme snowstorm, the metal roof of her cabin becomes dislodged by the wind, making loud noises. She leaves the cabin to try and repair the roof and gets injured. A local hunter, Miguel (Bichir) and his friend and nurse Alawa rescue her and help nurse her back to healthy. While Alawa leaves, Miguel stays to look after Edeeby cooking for her and giving her more supplies. She thanks him but explains that she came to the cabin to be alone and wants it to remain that way. He understands and offers to help give her better survival skills so she can have the solitude she wants. He shows her to trap, fish and hunt. Over time, a friendship develops as Miguel continues to come over to help her hunt, plant and harvest crops and explore the land. Miguel shares that his wife and daughter died in car accident eight years prior, while Edee reveals that she used to have a family.

Land is a very slow, pretty depressing, yet somewhat inspirational film. It makes you appreciate who and what you have in your life. It isn’t exciting at all, but really pretty boring for the most part. There is very little action and dialog. The gorgeous setting doesn’t make up for how dull this movie is. It isn’t a long film, but the mundanity and slowness make it seem much longer. From an award winning actress (Wright), I was expecting an exceptional movie and this one fell flat.

I’m not saying this film was a snooze fest because it is a survival type, because there are great survival films like Cast Away. Had there been more dialog, action and more about her life prior to moving to Wyoming, I would have like this one a lot more. The beautiful background and soundtrack were the best things about this movie. I’m so glad I didn’t waste money seeing this in theater, because I’d be asking for that money back. This movie was missing a great story, because the one that was produced was bland to the max. This could’ve been a wonderful motion picture, instead it was rushed and lackluster all the way around.

This film does teach about forgiveness and the power of family and friendship and that’s pretty much it. Not the worst film I’ve seen this year so far, but far the best. 13+ 1.5/5