The Hired Hand (re-release)

Harry Collings and Arch Harris embark on a seven-year journey as wandering saddle tramps, exploring the American Southwest. Their travels are marked by hardship, but the vast landscapes offer both challenges and camaraderie.

While wandering, Harry, Arch, and their younger companion Dan Griffen make a heart-wrenching discovery of a small white child's corpse in a river. This moment profoundly impacts Harry, leading him to return the child's body to the water as a solemn farewell.

The trio arrives in the isolated town of Del Norte, unaware of the corruption that lurks within. They soon learn about the powerful and sinister boss, McVey, who controls the town with an iron fist.

As Arch and Dan consider heading to California for work, Harry reveals his desire to return to his wife, Hannah, and their daughter. This moment resonates with his companions, highlighting Harry's struggle between freedom and family.

In a shocking turn of events, McVey, obsessed with Dan’s horse, orchestrates a brutal attack on him. Dan is murdered, and McVey spins a false narrative depicting him as a rapist, leaving Harry and Arch in disbelief.

Determined to take justice into their own hands, Harry and Arch return to confront McVey at dawn. In a dramatic moment, Harry incapacitates McVey by shooting him in both feet, signaling a turning point in their struggle against tyranny.

With Dan’s horse in tow, Harry and Arch make their way back home. However, the journey back is fraught with emotional turmoil as Harry grapples with the implications of Dan's death and the weight of his choices.

Upon returning to his family, Harry's welcome from Hannah is uncomfortably cold. The years of absence have created distance, and Harry struggles to find his place in the life he left behind.

As Harry attempts to integrate back into family life, Arch harbors feelings for Hannah, complicating their already strained relationship. This unspoken tension simmers beneath the surface as they work on the farm.

Slowly, Harry and Hannah begin to reconnect, rekindling the bond that had faded over the years. They find comfort in the routine of farm work, but unresolved feelings linger in their interactions.

Sensing his role as a barrier to Harry and Hannah's happiness, Arch decides to leave, expressing a wish to see the ocean. His departure creates a void, revealing the complexities of love and loyalty among friends.

Harry’s new-found peace is shattered when he learns that Arch has been kidnapped and tortured by McVey’s gang. Driven by desperation to save his friend, Harry musters the courage to confront the threats once more.

In a brutal showdown, Harry faces McVey’s gang in an explosive gunfight. Although he manages to eliminate the villains, Harry suffers fatal injuries during the chaos, revealing the cost of his quest for vengeance.

The aftermath leaves Hannah mourning Harry's sacrifice, as she watches Arch return alone, leading a second horse. This poignant moment symbolizes the ongoing cycles of loss and resolution that define their lives.

Arch, now alone, takes on the role of a 'hired hand' on the farm, accepting his new reality. As he places the horses in the barn, it represents a somber acknowledgement of how intertwined their fates have become.