Slow West (2015)

A young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide.

Director:

John Maclean

Writer:

John Maclean

Stars:

Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn

5 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Jay Cavendish
Michael Fassbender	...	Silas Selleck
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Payne
Aorere Paki	...	Young Native Boy
Hayden Frost	...	Young Soldier 1
Caren Pistorius	...	Rose Ross
Kieran Charnock	...	Young Soldier 2
Edwin Wright	...	Victor the Hawk
Joseph Passi	...	Congolese Singer 1
Andrew Robertt	...	Werner
Sam Manzanza	...	Congolese Singer 2
Tawanda Manyimo	...	Congolese Singer 3
Brian Sergent	...	Payote Joe
David T. Lim	...	Tattoo Man (as David Lim)
Karl Willetts	...	Johan

Storyline

'Slow West' follows a 16-year-old boy on a journey across 19th Century frontier America in search of the woman he loves, while accompanied by mysterious traveler Silas.

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Plot Keywords:

frontier | outlaw | american west | horse riding | bounty hunter | 

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Taglines:

Love and death are universal.

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Genres:

Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK New Zealand

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 April 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Caminho do Oeste

Filming Locations:

Twizel, Canterbury, New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,459 (USA) (19 June 2015)

Gross:

$229,094 (USA) (19 June 2015)

Company Credits

Production Co:

See-Saw Films, DMC Film, Film4

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the WANTED posters uses a famous picture of Robert E. Lee.

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Goofs

Payne is shot in the doorway of the Ross house. When Silas has entered, the body has disappeared.

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Quotes

Silas Selleck: Breathe...

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Soundtracks

Jupiter and Mars
Written by Bryan Michael Mills and Nicholas Munro
Performed by Lone Pigeon and The Kittens

User Reviews

Aptly Named and Surreal

In what may be one of the most aptly-named films at this year's festival, Slow West is in no hurry to tell the story of Scotsman Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and his continent-spanning quest to find Rose (Caren Pistorius), the long-lost love from his hometown. Things get complicated when a desperado named Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) decides to accompany Cavendish on his journey—possibly to cash in on a bounty that hangs over Rose's head. Taking a cue from neo-westerns like Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, Slow West uses the chaotic landscape of the American frontier as an allegorical exploration of love and death. There is something surreal about seeing the old west interpreted through the lens of New Zealand where the film was shot, and it added to the story's dreamlike tone. The immensely watchable Fassbender exudes some serious Han Solo vibes as he guides Cavendish through the unforgiving wilderness while trying to act like he doesn't give a crap. McPhee's boyish, innocent appearance is ideal for a character whose belief in true love has guided him so far into the lions' den. While the film's ending is sure to polarize audiences, it was a ballsy way to emphasize the point that the frontier was an ecosystem all its own, indiscriminately filling some hearts with purpose and others with bullets.