Set in 1874, the story follows Will Andrews, who leaves Harvard in search of a more authentic life. He arrives in Butcher’s Crossing, Kansas, a frontier town thriving on the buffalo hide trade. There, he meets Miller, a rugged hunter who speaks of an untouched valley in Colorado teeming with buffalo. Enticed by the promise of adventure and wealth, Will funds an expedition to this remote location.
The hunting party, including the religious yet unstable Charley Hoge and the pragmatic skinner Fred Schneider, embarks on a grueling journey through treacherous terrain. Upon reaching the valley, they find an enormous herd and commence an unrelenting slaughter, driven by Miller's obsession. Despite accumulating more hides than they can transport, Miller insists on continuing the hunt, ignoring warnings about the impending winter.
As snow traps them in the valley, tensions rise. Schneider, frustrated by their predicament, burns Hoge's Bible, leading Hoge to poison him in retaliation. Will becomes increasingly desensitized to the violence and hardship. When spring arrives, they attempt to return with a portion of the hides, but a wagon accident results in Schneider's death and the loss of their cargo.
Back in Butcher’s Crossing, they discover the town nearly abandoned and the buffalo hide market collapsed. Devastated, Miller burns down the buffalo exchange. Will, disillusioned by the experience, departs alone into the wilderness, having "seen what he needed to see."
- IMDB Rating - 5.6/10
- Director - Gabe Polsky
- Writers - Gabe Polsky, Liam Satre-Meloy, John Edward Williams
- Stars - Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Jeremy Bobb
