The Hired Hand

During a fishing trip through the Southwest, Harry, Arch, and Dan Griffen pull from the river the corpse of a small white child. Harry returns the body to the water, but the current sweeps it away, leaving a grim reminder of danger in this barren land. The moment foreshadows the harsh moral landscape the trio will navigate.

Del Norte is a ramshackle town run by a corrupt boss named McVey. The trio senses the town's fear-driven power plays and bribes, and they realize violence could erupt at any moment. This setting foreshadows the violence and moral compromise that will soon engulf them.

Harry, weary of wandering, abruptly tells Arch and Dan that he plans to return to his wife and daughter. He wants stability after seven years on the road. The talk of California work lingers, but Harry's decision shifts the group's plans and dynamics.

McVey fixates on Dan's horse and enlists his thugs to plan an assassination that will free him to claim the animal. The conspiracy happens out of sight of Harry and Arch, underscoring how corruption sits behind Del Norte's facade. The setup foreshadows the violence that will erupt when Dan is killed.

Dan is murdered in the night, and McVey later uses a fabricated tale of Dan as a rapist to justify the crime. The murder is framed as a cover for stealing the horse and maintaining control of the town. The riders at the bar accept the story, allowing the crime to become town lore.

Harry and Arch bury Dan and, at dawn, set out again to confront the killers. They resolve to seek revenge against McVey and his gang. The moment marks a shift from mourning to vigilant retaliation.

In a confrontation with McVey's men, Harry shoots McVey in both feet, crippling him. The trio escapes on Dan's horse, riding into the open miles away from town. This act of retribution confirms that Del Norte's corruption will not be left behind easily.

The riders finally reach Harry's abandoned family home and Hannah. To stay, they offer themselves as hired hands, and Hannah reluctantly accepts their help. The couple's reconciliation begins, as a wary peace settles between Harry and Arch.

Arch hints at his interest in Hannah, and the years of estrangement begin to melt into fragile affection. Harry starts to imagine settling down, while Arch feels like an obstacle to their happiness. He announces that he would like to see the ocean and leaves, signaling a widening rift.

McVey's messenger later reports that Arch has been kidnapped and mutilated by McVey's gang. The news shatters the fragile peace at the farm and spurs Harry to ride out again. He returns to the road with a renewed resolve to rescue his friend. The trauma of Arch’s fate compounds the tension between the remaining men and the town's brutality.

Harry engages McVey's gang in a brutal shootout and defeats them, but he is fatally wounded. The battle eliminates the gang but costs Harry his life. Arch and Hannah witness the aftermath and prepare to carry on. The victory is hollow, leaving a legacy of sacrifice and loss.

In an epilogue, Arch rides up to the farm with a second unmounted horse and places the horses in the barn. He enters the barn and settles in as a hired hand, signaling a new, humble chapter after years of wandering. The film closes on the stark, enduring bond between the men and a life tempered by loss.