Watch Meek's Cutoff

Meek's Cutoff is a historical drama set in 1845 in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The film follows a group of pioneers, led by a inexperienced guide named Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), as they journey through treacherous territory towards a promised land in Oregon. The group is comprised of three families, each with their own struggles and motivations for making the journey.

One of the families is led by a strong-willed woman named Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams), who questions Meek's leadership and decision-making abilities. Emily's husband Solomon (Will Patton) is more deferential to Meek, but tensions between the two men begin to rise as the journey becomes more difficult. The other families include the Gatelys and the Whites, who are more trusting of Meek but also more vulnerable to his mistakes.

As the group travels deeper into uncharted territory, supplies begin to dwindle and water becomes scarce. Meek's promise of a shortcut to the promised land proves to be a mistake, and the group becomes lost in the wilderness. They encounter a Native American man (Rod Rondeaux) who they capture and question, but they are unable to communicate with him due to the language barrier. Emily begins to sympathize with the man and questions the group's treatment of him.

The group must make difficult decisions as they try to survive and continue their journey. They confront harsh terrain and brutal weather as well as the possibility of running into hostile Native American tribes. The film is deliberately slow-paced and atmospheric, with a minimalist score and sparse dialogue. Much of the tension stems from the characters' internal conflicts and the uncertainty of their situation.

Meek's Cutoff is a haunting and thought-provoking film that explores themes of frontier justice, survival, and gender roles. The characters are well-drawn and complex, with Williams delivering a particularly strong performance as a woman struggling to assert herself in a patriarchal society. The film is shot in a distinctive style, with long takes and a muted color palette that captures the harsh beauty of the Oregon wilderness. The film's ambiguous ending leaves the viewer with much to ponder and discuss. Overall, Meek's Cutoff is a standout film that is sure to resonate with fans of historical dramas and character-driven stories.

Meek's Cutoff is a 2010 western with a runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 85.