Greetings again from the darkness. We don’t see the fire. There is no need. We see the aftermath right along with Dusty as he takes a deep breath and surveys what’s left of his multi-generational ranch. We are also there as he auctions the cattle that he can no longer tend to. Without the assistance of any significant early dialogue, writer-director Max Walker-Silverman (A LOVE SONG, 2022) ensures we understand the man that Dusty is.
We can’t help but feel the pain when we see another person suffering, yet when they are dealing with total devastation and the loss of everything they own, we are simply at a loss as to how to react or help. Josh O’Connor has turned into one of the finest actors working today, as evidenced by his roles in “The Crown”, EMMA (2020), and CHALLENGERS (2024). In what may be his finest work yet, he perfectly captures Dusty, a quiet, proud man soul-searching for a way forward.
Dusty’s ex-wife Ruby (Meghann Fahy, “The White Lotus”) looks for a way to help him re-connect with their young daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre, RUN RABBIT RUN, 2023), while Callie Rose’s grandmother Bess (Amy Madigan) understands the proud man’s pain and offers strength and support while she can. Watching Dusty and Callie Rose together is quite moving, and we find ourselves mentally urging things to work out.
Finally allowing himself to accept some assistance, Dusty moves into a FEMA trailer and takes a temporary job on a highway crew holding a traffic sign. He mostly ignores the neighbors … a small community of those who have also lost everything … until one of these neighbors, Mila (Kali Reis, CATCH THE FAIR ONE, 2021) manages to draw Dusty into the group. It turns out misery really does love company, and these neighbors offer support to each other while bonding over a devastation that we all hope to never experience.
Wi-fi at the local library, a blue barn, a job in Montana, a family death, a fizzled bank loan, and the high-severity burn that means no crops for up to 10 years make up the harsh reality of Dusty’s situation. Walker-Silverman includes a few memorable lines of dialogue (this is not a big talky movie), ensuring that we viewers are deep in thought. Beginning again is terribly difficult, and these folks merely try to find moments of joy amidst the sadness. What they never lose sight of his hope … and hope sometimes appears in something as simple as a sprig of growth. The film’s subdued approach acts to make it all the more impactful.
In select theaters November 14 and opening wide November 21, 2025.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 