Overview
A poignant tale of friendship and ambition unfolds in the wilds of early America.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- gentle
- wistful
- contemplative
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a meticulously crafted, quietly humorous, and deeply humane revisionist western, praising its simplicity and precise storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cookie and King-Lu are itinerant workers and immigrants whose survival depends on cooperation in Oregon Territory.
The protagonists build a pastry business together, while the story contrasts their solidarity with the greed of powerful landowners.
The wealthy landowner's prized cow provides the milk essential to Cookie and King-Lu's biscuits.
The film emphasizes quiet routines, tactile cooking, and Oregon landscapes over spectacle or conventional western action.
Films like First Cow, and why
Meek's Cutoff
shared themes of friendship, marginal lives, and understated frontier drama
Certain Women
shared quiet pacing, naturalistic performances, and focus on precarious human relationships
The Rider
shared revisionist western setting, moral restraint, and contemplation of community over violence
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
shared frontier atmosphere, economic survival, and understated male companionship
Movie Details
- Director
- Kelly Reichardt
- Release Date
- 2020-03-06
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (565)
Cast
- John Magaro
- Orion Lee
- Toby Jones
- Ewen Bremner
- Scott Shepherd
- Gary Farmer
- Lily Gladstone
- Alia Shawkat
- Dylan Smith
- Ryan Findley
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is First Cow about?
- In Kelly Reichardt's tender revisionist western, two outsiders turn stolen milk and homemade biscuits into a fragile experiment in friendship and frontier commerce.
- What is First Cow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of First Cow as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is First Cow violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in First Cow as mild.
- What did critics think of First Cow?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a meticulously crafted, quietly humorous, and deeply humane revisionist western, praising its simplicity and precise storytelling.
- Which films are like First Cow?
- Films with a similar feel include Meek's Cutoff, Certain Women, The Rider, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
- How long is First Cow?
- First Cow runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch First Cow?
- In United States, First Cow is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
