MUBI 2024 Retrospective is here. See our year.
First Cow
8.5
/10
22,433 Ratings

Synopsis

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.

Our take

Kelly Reichardt, an inimitable voice of American cinema, redefines the notion of what a western can be. Set among outcasts on the edge of capitalism’s grasp, First Cow is a rare tale of the blossoming of a heartfelt male friendship, and one told with sublime gentleness and touching compassion.