User Reviews

A lot of folks are making some statements that could be misunderstood by most. Buffalo hunting in 1800s was a very lucrative occupation for someone who had nothing. So, I'm taking it out of realm of "OMG" and putting into a perspective of the hunters. They did make a lot of money in their time for these hides. And there was in our perspective a lot of waist. But it was a living. If it could have been avoided, there might have been something else that was equally as distasteful. That was the old west, and people have take that into consideration.

Find something else to beat down or complain.00.

Unceremoniously dropped on Amazon Prime with no real fanfare, this Western odyssey bares similarities to Joseph Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness' (except without all the racism) and has a connection to Francis Ford Coppola's take on that material, 'Apocalypse Now (1979)', in that it also features a depiction (or several) of a bison being killed and butchered. 'Butcher's Crossing (2023)' has an additional connection with another film, that one being the Coen brothers' 'Miller's Crossing (1990)': not only goes it have the word "crossing" in the title, but its pseudo Kurtz stand-in (portrayed by Nic Cage) just so happens to be called Miller. "Alright, Mr. IMDb Trivia, get on with it," you're probably thinking. To that I say, "okay."

There's something that just feels unfinished about the film, specifically when it comes to its editing, sound mixing and colour grading. The former is mostly successful, making good use of montages and other non-linear techniques to create a purposefully elusive and unsettling atmosphere, but there's something almost intangibly off about it and it could have been tightened up with another pass to really hammer its dream-like nature home. The audio mix is notably incorrect on occasion as it straight-up clips during some of the infrequent yelling that occurs; it's a pretty major technical problem that contributes to the picture's sort of amateurish vibe. The cinematography isn't bad, but it often feels like we're looking at raw dailies. It doesn't have its own feel to it, and any semblance of naturalism is counteracted by its flat and uninspired appearance. Another problem with the feature is that its apparent conversationalist messaging is only really evident during its text ending, which uses statistics and real-life imagery to decry the extensive hunting its characters so eagerly partake in elsewhere in the piece. It feels quite random for the film to end on such a blatant anti-hunting note when its majority makes no real attempt to demonise the act, instead depicting it in quite a bit of detail (there is a lot of animal killing and butchery in this, which is something to be wary of going in) and positioning its characters' potential descent into madness not through their barbaric actions but rather through their isolation and unwillingness to cut their losses.

Where the affair mostly succeeds is in its general tone and semi-surreal atmosphere. Although it's a bit too front-loaded for its own good, the narrative is mostly compelling and the direction often takes an unexpected route to convey the feeling of a particular segment, rather than the unfiltered truth of it. There's this hard-to-pinpoint nightmarish quality to a lot of it, and a sense of dread slowly builds right from the start. You're never quite sure where it's going to go, which is yet another of its most potent strengths. The solid performances really ground the experience and lend it a sense of truth, while the sparse set design and tangible costuming make sure you don't doubt the period setting for a single second. There are some genuinely stunning vistas here, instantly iconic snapshots of the American landscape that are synonymous with the bloodstained Manifest Destiny of the era and therefore carry their own sense of ideological danger alongside their undeniable beauty (not to mention the fact that they could kill you in an instant). A couple of its environments are clearly recreated on a green-screen soundstage and they do yank you out of the otherwise solid verisimilitude, but far more are real and tactile and plain gorgeous to look at.

There is a lot to like about the piece and it draws you into its earthy narrative relatively early on. While it can't keep you glued to the edge of your seat and its technical issues do prevent it from feeling fully polished, it remains mostly engaging for its majority. It gets a bit repetitive in its midsection and the pacing is a little off in places, but it's a solid effort that's rather entertaining overall.

I didn't really expect to like this film all that much. Sometimes in that situation you turn out to be right, sometimes you turn out to be pleasantly surprised. 'Butcher's Crossing' fell somewhere in the middle. I certainly enjoyed it more than I expected to, let's just say that.

The casting of Nicolas Cage is an interesting one. On the one hand, I didn't feel he was overly suited to the role. On the other hand, I felt his charisma brought a lot to the movie. And in a movie that is pretty desolate and grim, having a character/actor that you can enjoy and feel some familiarity with can go a long way.

I found myself a lot more interested in the story line than I expected. Generally old-time westerns do absolutely nothing for me. But the story here, simple as it was, kept me entertained and wanting to know what was around the next corner. 6.5/10.

Especially through the credits at the end, President Grant's Policy to starve the Indian Problem by ordering the slaughter of the Buffalo was missed, not even a mention which makes the movie pointless in my opinion.

Otherwise the cinematography is wonderful and the main characters are believable.

There is no reference to why Buffalo hides are in demand though and that's because demand was a government imagined one to starve Native Americans and pay for so doing. It was a regretful policy that even before his death, Grant regretted it's success.

It's too bad that isn't explained.

Never be the same.

I wanted to give a higher rate but it's hard because the movie has many issues. That being said, it's not a bad movie, very watchable especially if you love westerns.

The actors performances are good, the story and plot are decent. Probably lacks more action. You won't see many bullets.

My biggest issue, and maybe this is a "me problem", is their clothing. I see this problem many times in modern low budget westerns. The people in charge of the outfits, wardrobes and characters design should put a bigger effort in making the audience feel the old western days, teleporting the audience back in time. Instead, I feel they are wearing Levi's jeans and gap shirts, all clean. The horses are also way too clean.

Anyway, it's not that big of a deal, just wanted to share my point of view.

Cheers.

Seen this at the Borderlines Festival in Herefordshire. A good film, gritty, well made. Hard to watch at times due to the subject matter (if you like animals!).

Thought it showed the senseless slaughter of American Bison well, and the reasons for it. Well acted and well shot with interesting scenery, a good interplay between the lead characters. No particular twists or surprises, but all the better for it in my view.

One criticism would be it wasn't great on showing the timeline over the 6 months or so of the story. However, this is a minor point and I think overall the film is well worth a look. Hope you enjoy!

This was a nice surprise of a great story with solid directing and a great cast. The dp work is amazing yet it's not a casual premise for the light hearted esp any Vegans.

It is phenomenal to see Nick Cage back in great films especially after another gem like Pig and now this western script that merits his talent as he carries the film as its star with a superb supporting cast.

The Montana landscape is epic in its splendid beauty and the true sadness and brutality of mankind's hunt for bison in 1800s is one of disgrace yet another tragic tale that has to be seen to fully comprehend the mania of some hunters.

Kudos to the director and loved the music score also.

Looking forward to more Cage films

A solid 7 stars.

Naive pastor's son, Will, has dropped out of Harvard and travels to Butcher's Crossing, a tiny frontier town in Kansas built on the buffalo hide trade. He wishes to see as much of the country as he can and experience the 'Wild West'. Sold on the romanticism of going on a buffalo hunt, Will seeks out McDonald, a former acquaintance of his father's, who currently runs the waning buffalo trade for the town. When McDonald refuses to oblige the young man, Will falls in with Miller, an intense and experienced buffalo hunter who spins him a tale of a remote Colorado pass where one of the few remaining massive herds can be found. Though warned about Miller and the folly of this enterprise, Will puts up all of his money to fund the expedition.

A great Nic Cage movie.

Beautifully shot with a brooding soundtrack, Butcher's Crossing delves in to the psychology of the hunter.

At one point in the show it really does look like the film is going down the road of Apocolypse Now. The dark man becoming darker as he gets lost in his hunt, making irrational decisions as he can now only obsess about one thing. However it pulls up before fully exploring this particular heart of darkness.

Cage is fantastic. He applies rare restraint in the delivery of his character allowing the story to do most of the work.

Its a very enjoyable film exploring a regretable piece of history, not to be missed :)

This movie takes place in 1883-84. The buffalo were extirpated from the rockies by this time. The United States was fairly well surveyed at this time, especially rivers and notable landmarks. How do they not know how far they are from water or the way to denver, maps and bearing compasses were in wide use at this time. I don't understand how they don't know where they are or how far they were from water. While they're skinning 100s of buffalo their clothes remain all but blood free. I'm not a horse person, but I find it difficult to believe their horses would survive the winter trapped in the mountains. The movie is slow and its hard to judge how much time has passed for them.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is a young man who has dropped out of Harvard, and is now eager to find some meaning in his life. He travels to Butcher's Creek, a frontier town in Kansas, known for buffalo hunting. McDonald (Paul Raci), the local rancher, refuses to take him on, and so he finds solace in Miller (Nicolas Cage), a mysterious local ranger who is more open to chance. As the group of men embark on a treacherous mission, they find their will and sanity pushed to the very brink.

After making a sensational comeback in theatres earlier in the year, with his role as Dracula in Renfield, before this Nicolas Cage fronted this modern western, which made an impression at the Toronto Film Festival, a year earlier. Sporting a new look shaved head and beard, this is another of the stern, intense roles that he is best known for, and the gruff, world weary Miller certainly fits this description, ensuring at least this slow, lingering piece has something dynamic to it.

The western is a tough genre to commandeer in the modern age, lingering in mood and atmosphere without the more immediate action and results that modern audiences are used to, and writer/director Gabe Polsky's film abides by these convention rules fastidiously, but this applies to the good stuff as much as the less, with some reliably sweeping cinematography of the western landscape. The lead characters are engaging enough that we go along with their plight, a slow, burning descent into something like madness, but sadly the story isn't quite as engaging, a little too meandering and listless to be as great as it could.

This is a lofty film, with pretty grand ambitions that it isn't entirely capable of fulfilling, ultimately worthwhile, but too wide of the mark to really stamp its mark. ***

Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is desperate to experience the wild west and some buffalo hunting. After being refused to be taken on the wild ride by his father's friend, he is lured into by Miller (Nicolas Cage), who had once witnessed a big herd of buffaloes and wants to get his hand on the hunt. Thus, the wild west journey begins with Will funding the whole hunting expedition. Amidst the harsh experience of the journey itself, the greed takes over and the following madness makes the group numb towards the cruelty they display. What happens to the Miller's crew, Miller's greed and Will's excitement to experience the wild west forms rest of the story.

Butcher's Crossing is an ambitious film, wanting to focus on the physical and emotional rollercoaster this group go through during their buffalo hunt. It is not a easy ride and they get stranded during their wild hunt. The film throws scene after scene, depicting their time on the desert and during the hunt. The problem was it failing to register the impact. We barely get to know the characters and their motives, probably with the exception of Will Andrews. This makes it hard to connect with these characters and their hardships.

Not that the performances are bad. Infact it is what that carries the film till the end. Yet, it doesn't stop feeling like a missed opportunity as the intent was to explore the human emotion and the effect the brutal killings to even the fellow men's death have on them while battling the toll the entire expedition has on their physical and mental health. The narrative only scrapes through these emotions instead of exploring it a bit deeper. I did like the ending twist when they return back, I wish the build up to the climax had paid off better.

It appears people are vote bombing because they don't like seeing guts, gore, and buffalo getting killed. Buffalo co-evolved with American Indians for thousands of years as a hunted animal. They were hunted sustainably and revered. Nobody is endorsing the killing of buffalo to this extent; that is the point of the movie to show the atrocities by Americans in the 1800s. If you are disgusted, the film has done its job.

I thought the supporting cast was a little weak but the writing was on point. Beautifully shot, Nicolas Cage hits a home run for his character (perfectly casted by the way), and a wonderful conclusion. This one is worth a watch.

First off, I've never made a movie so I have to give cudos to anyone who attempts any kind of artistic (albeit, a glancing blow at artistic) piece, but this filmmaker seemed to grapple with the basic precepts of any kind of cohesive vision here.

Butcher's Crossing made most Hallmark TV movies of the week look important comparatively.

The characters were about as generic as a film could make them, nothing made any sense, like buffalo would just hang out in the same area for weeks while they were picked off 30 at a time.

The editing was moronic at best.

This could be thought of as an entertaining picture if one had only been exposed to the Sharknado franchise, but then again, what the hell do I know?

I always enjoy a good Western and a good War flick...what can I say, I'm a dude?! This is not one. The sets in the beginning are OK and the acting (likely suffering from poor direction) barely reaches mediocracy. At it's basic premise the story has potential but never really gets off the ground or goes anywhere rewarding. I need some believability and authenticity in a Western and this one fails completely. It appears to me that they hired the wrong historical consultant. The characters in the story who are supposed to be seasoned hunters, make too many rudimentary mistakes. If I may venture a guess...it's a bit of a "Heart of Darkness" knock off done horribly. What ever you do don't pay to see it. Watch it for free when you are so bored you feel like witnessing a train wreck in slow motion. Three stars for some of the scenery and the fact that someone put up money to make it. Nick Cage is a concubine and will make any amount of garbage?!