Sweetwater
Sweetwater

Movie spotlight

Sweetwater

2013
Movie
96 min
English

In the late 1800s, a fanatical religious leader, a renegade Sheriff, and a former prostitute collide in a blood triangle on the rugged plains of the New Mexico Territory.

Insights

IMDb5.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes47%
Metacritic44/100
Google Users47%
Director: Tony ElliottGenres: Western, Drama

Plot Summary

In the 1880s Wyoming Territory, a rugged rancher Sarah, seeking to expand her land, finds herself in a brutal dispute with a wealthy and ruthless landowner, D.A. Sawyer. Sawyer, aided by his psychopathic henchman, aims to drive Sarah and her husband off their property through intimidation and violence. The conflict escalates into a desperate struggle for survival, testing Sarah's resilience and determination against the harsh realities of the Wild West.

Critical Reception

Sweetwater received a mixed reception from critics, with praise often directed at its visual style and the performances of its lead actors, particularly January Jones and Ed Harris. However, many critics found the narrative to be overly violent and somewhat gratuitous, with some noting a lack of depth in character development and plot progression. The film's bleak tone and graphic content were polarizing.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its striking visual aesthetic and strong lead performances.

  • Criticized for excessive violence and a narrative that struggles with depth.

  • The film's bleak and unforgiving depiction of the West is a major talking point.

Google audience: Audiences found the film to be visually interesting with solid acting, but many were put off by its extreme violence and a story that felt underdeveloped and overly grim. Some appreciated the gritty portrayal of the era, while others found it gratuitous and difficult to watch.

Fun Fact

The film was shot on location in Montana, with much of the scenery reflecting the harsh and unforgiving landscapes of the 1880s American West.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
Wuchak

Wuchak

**_Dealing with a false minister in Bleakwater, New Mexico_** A homesteading couple have the misfortune of living near a questionable religious leader (Jason Isaacs) and his compound. The wife (January Jones) soon finds herself facing a ...

wrjte51

wrjte51

Kind of an odd western. Especially the performance by Ed Harris, who always seems to put his "all" into what he doing regardless if it is a little quirky or not. January Jones makes for a great looking avenging angel even if her acting styl...