by Chris Connor
Rebuilding, 2025.
Written and Directed by Max Walker-Silverman.
Starring Josh O’Connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, and Amy Madigan.
SYNOPSIS:
After wildfires take his ranch, a cowboy named Dusty winds up in a FEMA camp. He finds community with others who lost homes, while reconnecting with his daughter and ex-wife.
Josh O’Connor is not one to stand still; fresh off the likes of Wake Up Deadman, The Mastermind and History of Sound, he returns with the indie film Rebuilding, a Neo Western that is a light treat, contrasting some of his more mainstream projects. Director Max Walker-Silverman brings a gentle film that channels the spirit of Kelly Reichardt and Chloe Zhao with shades of Nomadland.
O’Connor’s Dusty is a ranch cowboy, living in an emergency camp after a fire, looking to find a sense of community and rekindle a relationship with his ex-wife and young daughter. O’Connor carries things on his shoulders, not dissimilar to his work on The Mastermind and La Chimera. This is a film with plenty of space, employing extensive periods of silence, capturing the beauty of the landscape. It really offers a showcase for his range as an actor, Dusty in search of purpose.
It is a reflective, melancholic work that is never too overdramatic. Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington’s stellar score contributes significantly, with a strong use of “How Lucky” by Kurt Vile and John Prine. Alfonso Herrera Salcedo’s cinematography captures the beauty and devastation of the landscape. Even if it is treading ground that other films have explored, there is a likability and warmth to Rebuilding that is hard to resist. O’Connor is the glue that binds it all together, and it is further proof of his rising status.
The supporting cast, ably support O’Connor, his young co-star Lily LaTorre more than holds her own. In addition to the obvious Western influences and indie filmmaking, there are shades of Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women and C’mon C’mon, particularly in the gentle tone and interplay between the adult and child cast.
It explores the cost of environmental damage and climate change on these communities and, much like Nomadland, offers an almost documentary exploration of these communities. This adds a sense of realism to proceedings, it is touching on real issues and manages to explore them in just over 90 minutes.
Rebuilding is a light, warm-hearted film, anchored by another terrific Josh O’Connor performance. Even if it wears its influences on its sleeve, it is far from just a knock off and marks director Max Walker-Silverman and young star Lily LaTorre as ones to watch.
Flickering Myth Rating– Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
