In a frontier town run by corrupt forces, fiercely independent Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) embarks on a relationship with the passionate, hard-working Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) but it’s one that leads to danger for them both.
With the threat of the Civil War looming, their future becomes uncertain when Holger decides to fight for the Union, leaving Vivienne on her own to face the dangerous threats of the corrupt mayor (Danny Huston), the power-hungry ranch owner (Garret Dillahunt) and the rancher’s violent son (Solly McLeod). Viggo Mortensen’s sophomore feature as writer-director is a powerful, decidedly feminist western of love and survival, that is both epic in scale and intimate in its emotional vulnerability, showcasing a marvel of a performance from lead actor Vicky Krieps.
“A tender love story and a subversive Western”
NPR
“Love blossoms amid violence in Viggo Mortensen’s western”
THE GUARDIAN