land movie review rotten tomatoes

Robin Wright ’s directorial debut “Land,” premiering this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, is a confident drama about multiple forms of isolation. Edee (Wright) is isolated emotionally by a horrible tragedy and the lingering grief that has made her suicidal. Almost as if she’s trying to mirror how alone she feels on the inside, she isolates herself physically too, going to a remote cabin and trying to live off the land. Wright’s film is a lyrical character study about two deeply pained people who find purpose in one another. Even as the vast landscape around them seems to recall the insignificance of one person against the beauty of Mother Nature, “Land” suggests that isolation isn’t the answer and connection is what matters. It’s a smart, moving piece of work, hampered a bit by a rushed final act that feels somewhat manipulative but confidently acted throughout.

Wright does a great deal of character work in the film’s first half-hour with almost no dialogue. The long opening credits find Edee driving to a remote cabin in the mountains. When she tells the man who guided her there to come and get the rental car when he can, he suggests that it’s safer to have a vehicle up here. Edee doesn’t care about safety. There’s a lack of preparation for what’s about to face Edee that almost leans into the flashbacks that hint at her suicidal nature following an undisclosed tragedy. It’s as if Edee is fine with the Earth reclaiming her. She doesn’t know how to hunt or trap; she doesn’t have enough supplies; winter is coming. If she dies out here, so be it. It’s almost like watching someone slowly drown, hundreds of miles from the ocean.

Writers Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam withhold the details about what has driven Edee to a place that almost feels built by Mother Nature to kill her other than brief flashbacks to a sister named Emma ( Kim Dickens ) begging Edee not to commit suicide and glimpses of a man and a boy, who it becomes clear are Edee’s lost family. At its core, “Land” is a story of unimaginable grief, the kind of pain that reshapes the landscape. Imagine something so horrible happening to you that the world around you looks entirely different—why not change your setting as extremely as moving from the city of Chicago to the Rocky Mountains? As a performer, Wright smartly imbues Edee with what almost feels like constant pain in the film’s first act. It’s such a stark, gloomy story that we start to feel Edee’s non-stop sadness with her.

And then “Land” shifts gears by introducing a hunter named Miguel ( Demián Bichir ) and a nurse named Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge). Not only do they save Edee’s life, Miguel becomes an unexpected ally and even teacher. He promises not to tell Edee anything of the outside world, maintaining her self-isolation, and he doesn’t say much. He’s going to give her the tools to survive, and then be gone. And he has some trauma and grief of his own to bring on the hunting trip.

As a director, Wright and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski (“ 99 Homes ”) strike a nice balance between lyrical shots of the gorgeous backdrop and close-ups that reveal their characters’ trauma. It’s a beautiful film that also never loses its sense of danger. There’s a shot late in the film in which Edee is standing near the edge of a cliff and I was convinced she was going to fall. “Land” has a finely tuned balance between the beauty of this world and the fact that that beauty hides so many aspects that can kill you, from bears looking for food to brutal winter snowstorms to, yes, cliffs. Anne McCabe & Mikkel E.G. Nielsen’s editing deserves praise for finding this balance too.

However, “Land” works best as a performance piece for two excellent actors. Wright nails every aspect of this character, particularly the way she internalizes her grief and uses that empty pain to push herself to survive. Bichir matches her with a very different performance that’s no less powerful. Neither character gets much to say—and the dialogue is often the weakest aspect of the film in that it’s sometimes a bit too unrealistic—but that allows Wright and Bichir to do a great deal of physical acting. Most importantly, they sell how these two people end up needing each other without resorting to melodrama. They have chemistry as two fully believable, three-dimensional characters unexpectedly sharing the same space.

Some of the final scenes of “Land” feel unearned, and I found the film far more effective in its silence than its dialogue. A simple shot of a man sitting on a porch with his eyes closed, the sun on his face, can be more powerful than an overwritten monologue.

The song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears becomes a recurring joke in “Land” as Miguel sings it a few times, and it’s tempting to pull apart the lyrics and how they reflect in the story of the film. After all, it does feature the lines “Turn your back on mother nature” and “It’s my own design/It’s my own remorse,” both of which could sound explicitly like they’re about Edee’s story. However, there’s a line in the chorus that is also important to remember when it comes to depression and grief, emotions that can sometimes feel like they’ll never end: “Nothing ever lasts forever.”

This review was filed in conjunction with the world premiere at Sundance on January 31 st , 2021. It will open in theaters on February 12 th , 2021.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

• Robin Wright as Edee
• Kim Dickens as Emma
• Demian Bichir as Miguel
• Anne McCabe
• Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Cinematographer

• Bobby Bukowski
• Erin Dignam
• Jesse Chatham
• Robin Wright

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Edee, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world and retreats to the wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter brings her back from the b... Read all Edee, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world and retreats to the wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter brings her back from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again. Edee, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world and retreats to the wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter brings her back from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again.

• Robin Wright
• Jesse Chatham
• Erin Dignam
• Demián Bichir
• Sarah Dawn Pledge
• 210 User reviews
• 133 Critic reviews
• 61 Metascore
• 4 wins & 2 nominations

Top cast 33

• Store Employee

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• Kayla Big Bear
• (as Rikki-Lynn Ward)

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Robin Wright and Demián Bichir Ask Each Other Anything

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• Trivia Robin Wright was initially attached only as the director but stepped up to star as well because of a scheduling issue. Wright said: "We got down to a scheduling issue and a time crunch where we had to shoot this movie in this window of time, and we only had 29 days to shoot it. And we just couldn't take the risk trying to hopefully get somebody in that window of time. And then the producers just said, 'Well, why don't you just do it?', and I said, 'Well, I'm going to be there anyway, so okay.'"
• Goofs The backpack Edee is wearing during her long walk late in the film (not being too specific as it would be a spoiler) switches from one with side pockets and a bedroll at the bottom to a military-style pack with MOLLE straps and no bedroll and back again. She wore the latter pack in several earlier scenes.

Edee : Why are you helping me?

Miguel : You were in my path.

• Connections Featured in IMDb Originals: A Salute to Women Directors (2020)
• Soundtracks I'm on Fire Written by Bruce Springsteen Performed by The Staves Courtesy of Atlantic Records UK By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing [Edee is seen buying supplies and driving up to the cabin for the first time]

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Common Sense Media Review

Intimate, occasionally dark portrait of grief and isolation.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Land is a quiet character study about grief, trauma, and isolation. Directed by and starring Robin Wright, it follows Edee (Wright), a melancholy lawyer who nearly dies while attempting to live off the grid. For reasons that are slowly explained in flashbacks, she doesn't seem all…

Why Age 13+?

A bear paws at an outhouse while Edee is inside. It leaves but makes a lot of no

Edee remembers making love to her late husband; they're seen kissing, caressing,

Infrequent: "oh my God," "idiot," "damn," hell."

A character admits that his alcohol use may have contributed to an accident that

Any Positive Content?

Stresses importance of friendship, connection, compassion, perseverance. Idea th

Edee is grieving throughout the film and at certain points seems hopeless, even

Violence & Scariness

A bear paws at an outhouse while Edee is inside. It leaves but makes a lot of noise; later, it's obvious the bear ransacked her cabin and took (or destroyed) her food and supplies. Having trouble with the harsh conditions, Edee says "this isn't working" and puts a gun to her chin but doesn't pull the trigger. She's found unconscious, visibly blue/purple, with scarily chapped lips and on the brink of hypothermia and starvation. Others' violent or sudden deaths are discussed; grief is ever present in the film. Spoiler alert: A key character is revealed to be dying of cancer. Scenes of game hunting, including a brief moment when two characters skin a buck.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Edee remembers making love to her late husband; they're seen kissing, caressing, on a bed, but the scene focuses solely on their backs and faces. Two scenes of nonsexual partial nudity. Edee takes a bath, and her back, legs, and a quick glimpse of a breast are visible. In another scene, her breasts are revealed when she's unconscious and being undressed in order to be treated. Two characters hold hands and share lingering looks.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A character admits that his alcohol use may have contributed to an accident that killed his family. A woman has an IV attached, presumably for fluids.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Stresses importance of friendship, connection, compassion, perseverance. Idea that life, no matter how difficult, is worth living resonates in the story. While nature offers beauty and sustenance, it can also be lonely and difficult to endure, so people shouldn't take it for granted, should be prepared to survive under harsh conditions. Grief is survivable, even if it never fully goes away.

Positive Role Models

Edee is grieving throughout the film and at certain points seems hopeless, even suicidal, but she slowly begins to see the value in living, in her surroundings, in making new connections. Miguel is kind, helpful, selfless.

Parents need to know that Land is a quiet character study about grief, trauma, and isolation. Directed by and starring Robin Wright , it follows Edee (Wright), a melancholy lawyer who nearly dies while attempting to live off the grid. For reasons that are slowly explained in flashbacks, she doesn't seem all that interested in living, period. This is a sad, occasionally heartbreaking drama about resilience and connection in the face of seemingly insurmountable loneliness. There's a frightening bear attack, as well as scenes of game hunting (including a brief moment when two characters skin a buck). In one scene, Edee puts a gun to her chin, but she doesn't shoot. Conversations include references to violence and deaths, as well as suicidal ideation. Scenes of Edee being nursed back to health after suffering from hypothermia and starvation include nonsexual partial nudity; in another scene, she's briefly shown in the bath. Edee's connection with a local hunter named Miguel ( Demián Bichir ) borders on the romantic, but the movie's only love scene is shown in a flashback of Edee's memories. Language is infrequent and mild ("oh my God," "damn," "hell"). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Based on 3 parent reviews

Land –With All Its Challenges

What's the story.

In actor Robin Wright 's directorial debut, LAND, she plays Edee, a troubled lawyer who seeks isolation in a remote cabin where she seems intent on total self-sufficiency but instead nearly dies of starvation. Flashbacks make it clear that Edee has survived some form of tragedy that has left her devastated and nearly suicidal. She tells no one of her trip and dismisses advice from a local to keep a car with her. Roughing it goes OK for a while, until nature strikes a cruel blow. On the verge of perishing, Edee is discovered by kind hunter Miguel ( Demián Bichir ), who summons his friend Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), a nurse, to help save her. Alawa charges Miguel with looking after Edee, and they soon strike a bargain: He (and his faithful dog) will teach her how to hunt and then leave her be, no questions asked. Slowly and steadily, hunting, eating, and being with Miguel becomes a routine that pulls Edee out of her grief and despair.

Is It Any Good?

This quiet, surprisingly impactful drama is lovingly performed and directed by the talented Wright. If Nomadland is about a middle-aged woman's search for freedom on the road, Land is about a middle-aged woman's search for freedom of the soul. Both films star extraordinary actresses ( Frances McDormand and Wright, respectively) and outstanding supporting actors ( David Strathairn and Bichir) and are directed by women (Chloe Zhao and Wright). But whereas Zhao and McDormand tell an ultimately hopeful, happy tale about people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s dropping out of traditional 9-to-5 society to form their own nomadic hobo culture, Wright's story is a heartbreaking exploration of grief and stillness.

Another commonality with Nomadland is Land 's kinship to Into the Wild , but for a different, and sadder, reason. Edee's time in the cabin is reminiscent of Christopher McCandless' time in the bus. They both think they know what they're doing, but nature can be cruel, forbidding, and dangerous. Once he's (literally) in the picture, Miguel infuses a gentle warmth and humor to his interactions with Edee. He never pushes her to reveal her secrets and is content to be in the present, whether it's teaching her how to quietly stalk a deer or humming and singing "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." This isn't just one quick sing-a-long of Tears for Fears' '80s hit; he continues to sing it in several scenes, and it becomes a heartwarming anthem for the two characters, even if their singing is out of tune. Edee and Miguel's slow-burning connection brims with romantic possibility, but their bond is so transformative that it doesn't need a label to be powerful -- much like the movie itself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Land 's portrayal of grief and mental health. How does surviving trauma impact Edee? When does grief turn into more than situational depression or even suicidal ideation? How does she get help?

Discuss the character strengths that various characters demonstrate in the film. Why are perseverance and compassion important?

How does the movie depict the way a song can bring people together? What else draws Edee to Miguel? Would you consider the movie a love story of sorts?

Despite everyone's fierce independence, how do the characters help and support one another?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 12, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2021
• Cast : Robin Wright , Demian Bichir , Kim Dickens
• Director : Robin Wright
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Latino actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
• Studio : Focus Features
• Genre : Drama
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Perseverance
• Run time : 89 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : thematic content, brief strong language, and partial nudity
• Last updated : June 1, 2024

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Land (2021) Review

04 Jun 2021

Land (2021)

Robin Wright ’s directorial debut follows a trail beaten by recent female-led films about living off the grid: notably Jean-Marc Vallée’s Wild , Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace and Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-winning Nomadland . Although the scenery is just as awe-inspiring here, Land cleaves too close to familiar ground. Its unimaginative script pales in comparison to its free-spirited predecessors.

Much of the film plays out as a grim, silent montage of naïve Edee failing at self-sufficiency.

Wright stars as Edee, a woman who retreats to a precarious cabin high in the mountains of Wyoming following a personal tragedy. She is far from suited to the cabin life, which is more hardcore than cottagecore. Much of the film plays out as a grim, silent montage of naïve Edee failing at self-sufficiency. Her hands bloom with blisters after hacking firewood; she can’t hunt, her crops wither and she’s soon eating cold tuna from a can while shivering through her first winter. In one fearsome moment, a bear circles her outside privy, swiping at the walls. Be thankful, then, that Land frequently cuts away to those distractingly verdant mountain views for relief.

Intermittent flashbacks to Edee’s memories of a sunnier past life help explain her rash behaviour. Wracked by grief, at some level she’s hoping the elements will win. And that’s what she’d get, if gruff Miguel ( Demián Bichir ), a local hunter, didn’t step in to save her, with medicine and patient lessons in survival skills. From that point on, the film’s horizons narrow dismally to Miguel’s sacrifice and Edee’s redemption, amid some affable but forgettable banter between a diffident, self-absorbed heroine and her enigmatic saviour. For Edee, sadly, Wyoming’s landscape and its native culture are just a prop for her own therapy. And Land ’s pat conclusion is liable to leave you yearning for something as unpredictable as the weather, as broad in scope as the view from her rickety porch.