Meek’s Cutoff: A Slow Burn on the Oregon Trail

Hey there! So, I finally got around to watching “Meek’s Cutoff,” and wow—where do I even start? It’s this Kelly Reichardt film starring Michelle Williams, who let’s be honest, never fails to impress. She’s like the IKEA of acting—always reliable, sometimes surprising.

The film is set in the 1840s, and it follows a group of settlers wandering the Oregon Trail, lost as a sock in a Swedish laundry room. Now, I gotta say, the pacing here is slower than waiting for midsommar to come around. But that’s kinda the point, isn’t it? You really get this sense of desperation and thirst (like, literal thirst) through the long shots and minimal dialogue. You’re there with them, wishing for a sip of lingonberry juice or something.

Bruce Greenwood plays Meek, the guide who seems to have misplaced the whole “guiding” part of his job description. He looks a bit like a grizzly bear who forgot where he put his glasses—charming but unreliable.

Speaking of being lost, it reminds me of that one time I was wandering through Gamla Stan and somehow ended up in a full-on Viking festival. Completely unexpected but also felt like I was in a different era. That’s what this film does; it transports you but leaves you to figure out the way forward.

Reichardt, she’s got this knack for making quiet films that speak louder than an ABBA reunion. The themes of survival, trust, and who gets to tell the story are as relevant now as they were back then. But ain’t it a bit too quiet sometimes? Maybe. I think patience is the key, like when you’re waiting for surströmming to ferment just right.

Should you watch it? If you’re in the mood for something that’s more about the journey than the destination, sure, go for it. Just be ready to sit through a few long, contemplative silences. Sorta like an Ingmar Bergman film but with more dust and the occasional tumbleweed.

So there you have it, my rambling thoughts on “Meek’s Cutoff”. It’s an experience more than anything, like a long walk through Skåne on an autumn afternoon. Cozy yet makes you think.

Check the trailer below