Butcher's Crossing

Butcher's Crossing

Year: 2023

Runtime: 1 h 45 m

Language: English

Director: Gabe Polsky

Echo Score: 62
DramaWestern

Seeking a life beyond academia, Will Andrews ventures west to join a buffalo hunting expedition in a remote valley. Partnering with the mysterious Miller, he anticipates a lucrative bounty. However, the harsh environment and brutal conditions test the men, pushing them to the brink of survival and forcing them to confront the unsettling realities of the frontier.

Bleak
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Butcher's Crossing (2023)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Butcher's Crossing (2023). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1874

The year 1874 was steeped in the rugged realities of America's Westward Expansion. It was a time when the buffalo herds were rapidly diminishing due to overhunting, impacting the livelihoods of numerous frontier towns. The clash between ambition and morality is underscored by the era's struggles, highlighting the challenges faced by pioneers seeking fortune in a desolate land.

Location

Butcher's Crossing, Kansas, Colorado Mountains

Butcher's Crossing is a small frontier town in Kansas known for its buffalo hide trade. The surrounding Colorado Mountains serve as a breathtaking backdrop for the harrowing journey undertaken by the characters, representing both beauty and danger in the wild. This harsh and unforgiving landscape plays a crucial role in shaping the destinies of those who traverse it.

🏞️ Wilderness 🏙️ Frontier Town

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

Main Characters – Butcher's Crossing (2023)

Meet the key characters of Butcher's Crossing (2023), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger)

Will Andrews is a young man driven by a thirst for adventure, leaving behind his sheltered life for the wilds of Butcher's Crossing. Initially idealistic, he becomes increasingly plagued by the brutal realities of hunting and the moral compromises he faces under Miller’s influence. His character arc demonstrates a profound transformation from innocence to a hardened understanding of survival.

🎓 Ambition 🚶‍♂️ Transformation

Miller (Nicolas Cage)

Miller is an experienced and reckless hunter whose desire for glory blinds him to the dangers of his pursuits. His charismatic yet morally ambiguous nature draws Will into an obsessive quest for riches, showcasing the darker side of ambition. Miller's downfall reflects the tragic consequences of unchecked ambition and the toll it takes on his companions.

🔫 Recklessness 💔 Tragedy

Charlie Hoge (Xander Berkeley)

Charlie Hoge is a one-armed drifter with a complex personality, balancing his affinity for scripture with his struggles with addiction. His character provides a moral contrast to Miller, embodying both wisdom and downfall. As tensions rise, Hoge's desperation leads to a betrayal, emphasizing the role of despair in moral degradation.

📖 Moral Conflict ⚖️ Betrayal

Fred Schneider (Jeremy Bobb)

Fred Schneider serves as the pragmatic voice of reason within the group, constantly skeptical of Miller's grandiose plans. As the journey grows more perilous, his concerns become a reality, fighting to maintain sanity amidst chaos. His character represents the struggle of holding onto one's principles in the face of overwhelming challenges.

🤨 Skepticism 🔧 Practicality

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

Major Themes – Butcher's Crossing (2023)

Explore the central themes of Butcher's Crossing (2023), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🛶 Survival

Survival is a central theme in 'Butcher's Crossing', as the characters grapple with the harsh realities of nature and human greed. Their journey into the mountains exposes them to both external dangers and internal conflicts, pushing them to their limits. Ultimately, survival becomes not just a physical challenge but a test of moral integrity and resilience.

🔥 Desperation

'Butcher's Crossing' captures the essence of desperation, highlighted by the characters' spiraling descent into madness and conflict. As their circumstances grow dire, feelings of betrayal and hopelessness lead to tragic outcomes. This theme illustrates how extreme situations can unravel the bonds of trust and humanity.

💔 Loss

The theme of loss permeates 'Butcher's Crossing', reflecting both physical and emotional journeys. The collapse of the buffalo hide trade symbolizes the end of an era, while the characters face profound personal losses. Their ultimate return to a ghostly town signifies the harsh truth that not all efforts yield reward, resulting in deep introspection.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Obsessive Descent movies like Butcher's Crossing

A character's single-minded pursuit leads to ruin and existential crisis.If you liked the theme of obsession leading to ruin in Butcher's Crossing, this thread features similar movies. Discover other stories where characters are driven by a singular, ultimately destructive goal, set in unforgiving worlds that test their sanity and morality.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread follow a clear arc: a character is initially motivated by ambition or desire, but this focus becomes an all-consuming obsession. The central conflict shifts from external obstacles to an internal battle against their own nature, often culminating in a pyrrhic victory or total failure that leaves them hollowed out and transformed.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on a character's psychological unraveling due to obsession. They share a bleak tone, high emotional intensity, and a theme of ambition curdling into madness, making the viewing experience harrowing and morally complex.

Brutal survival stories in the vein of Butcher's Crossing

Stories where characters are pushed to their limits by an unforgiving wilderness.For viewers who appreciated the harsh survival elements of Butcher's Crossing, this section collects movies with similar man vs. nature conflicts. Find other films where characters face the brutal realities of an untamed frontier, testing their endurance and humanity.

brutaldesolateoppressivegrittyisolatedharrowingpunishing

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around a group or individual entering a remote, dangerous landscape. Their initial confidence is systematically broken down by the relentless hostility of nature—extreme weather, isolation, and scarce resources. The plot is driven by a series of survival challenges that force characters to make difficult, often morally ambiguous, choices.

Why These Movies?

These movies are united by their depiction of survival as a brutal, transformative ordeal. They share a desolate and oppressive mood, high intensity derived from environmental danger, and a thematic focus on the cost of enduring against impossible odds.

Unlock the Full Story of Butcher's Crossing

Don't stop at just watching — explore Butcher's Crossing in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Butcher's Crossing is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Butcher's Crossing Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Butcher's Crossing, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Butcher's Crossing Summary

Butcher's Crossing Timeline

Track the full timeline of Butcher's Crossing with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Butcher's Crossing Timeline

Butcher's Crossing Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Butcher's Crossing? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Butcher's Crossing Ending Explained

Butcher's Crossing Spoiler-Free Summary

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Butcher's Crossing Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Butcher's Crossing

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Butcher's Crossing (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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Butcher's Crossing (2023) Ending Explained & Theories

Butcher's Crossing (2023) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow