Butcher’s Crossing (2022) is a haunting and meditative Western drama that strips away the romanticism of frontier life, exploring obsession, the brutality of nature, and the psychological toll of the American pursuit of conquest. Based on John Williams’ 1960 novel, the film follows a young Harvard dropout, Will Andrews, who travels west in search of purpose and authenticity in the untamed wilderness of 1870s Colorado.
Will arrives in the small, grim town of Butcher’s Crossing, where he becomes captivated by the stories of Miller, a grizzled buffalo hunter who promises glory and fortune on a hunt deep in an untouched valley. Craving adventure and escape from civilization’s constraints, Will funds the expedition, joining Miller and two other hardened men on a perilous journey into the wilderness.
What begins as an awe-inspiring adventure quickly spirals into a harrowing descent into madness and obsession. The group finds the hidden valley teeming with thousands of buffalo, untouched by hunters. But Miller, driven by pride and a need to dominate the landscape, insists they stay and kill far beyond what they can carry or preserve. The men grow increasingly unhinged as the brutal work and isolation wear on them, trapped by the encroaching winter and their leader’s relentless mania.
As supplies dwindle and tensions rise, Will witnesses firsthand the dehumanizing effect of unchecked ambition and the collapse of moral boundaries. Nature itself becomes both antagonist and mirror—vast, indifferent, and unforgiving. The once-idealistic young man is transformed, not by glory, but by survival and the devastating realization of what humanity is capable of when it loses its soul to greed.
When they finally return to Butcher’s Crossing, the world has moved on—no one wants the mountains of buffalo hides they risked everything to acquire. The journey has left them broken, and Will, now deeply changed, must decide what kind of man he will become after witnessing the emptiness at the heart of the American myth.
Butcher’s Crossing is a bleak, beautifully shot reflection on man’s attempt to conquer nature and himself, anchored by intense performances—particularly Nicolas Cage as the fanatical Miller. It’s not a story of triumph, but of ruin, and the grim price of chasing a hollow version of the American dream.