First Cow is another slow burn masterpiece from filmmaker and director Kelly Reichardt.

If you have the patience to digest an intimate, slow-paced film, this one is for you.

Will it be worth your time if you watch it? Absolutely.

Think of it as a solemn boat ride on a calm lake, or a slow train ride where you can take in the beautiful views and landscapes as you travel. Again, it is slow, but it lingers and the you will enjoy and reap the rewards even days after you’ve seen the film as opposed to riding a roller-coaster where you get all the thrills, excitement, fear, and adrenaline rush on a ride but it only lasts for a few minutes.

If you want to marinate your thoughts, feelings and ideas, First Cow is for you.

It follows the story of Cookie, played by brilliant actor John Magaro, a cook for a party of volatile fur trappers trekking through the Oregon Territory in the 1820s. Cookie met and bonded with Chinese immigrant King Lu (Orion Lee) and started a business milking the only cow in the area owned by a wealthy landowner.

First cow is a poignant tale that weaves themes of friendship, capitalism, class, survival and more all in one.

Set against the inviting, yet threatening landscape of Oregon, the film beautifully unfolds a subtle depiction of male friendship devoid of any labels from any preconceived notions and mores of the present society.  

It is hypnotic and magical in its own ways. Hypnotic in a sense that it could make your mind drift off places as you watch the film, sometimes it could be good, though sometimes it leads you to slumber. You better have the patience and the stamina to get to the end credits because of the pacing, but it is worth it.