MUBI has announced that they will release the festival fave First Cow in the UK and Ireland this May. The film got some huge acclaim at its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival, and then last year’s Berlinale, and has since gone on to win over audiences even further afield. MUBI has said that they will release the film in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 28 May. MUBI also holds all international rights for the film (excluding North America and China). Kelly Reichardt (Wendy & Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Night Moves) is behind the camera.
The film is a quietly suspenseful look at male friendship and the peculiar rhythms of rural life from one of the great modern American filmmakers. The cast incudes John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd, Gary Farmer and Lily Gladstone.
A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has travelled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship, yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own.
The film was released in the United States on March 6, 2020 through A24.
A new clip has also been released for the film in line with its big screen debut. Watch that below.
