Film Review: East of Wall

East of Wall
Director: Kate Beecroft
Station Road, Stetson’s Kingdom
In Theaters: 08.15.2025

When Shakespeare coined the phrase “hold the mirror up to nature” in reference to bringing reality to life on stage, he wasn’t specifically thinking of the films of Chloé Zhao, though it certainly applies. Writer-director Kate Beecroft, on the other hand, was unquestionably thinking of Zhao’s films that blur the line between documentary and narrative storytelling, using a cast of real people playing slight variations on themselves, with a star or two thrown in for good measure. Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, East of Wall isn’t up there with Nomadland, but it’s an impressive and intriguing piece of filmmaking nonetheless.

Still reeling from the death of her husband, Tabatha Zimiga is struggling to keep her ranch operating amidst financial obstacles, emotional scars and the total absence of a plan. Luckily, what Tabatha lacks in business savvy she makes up for in grit and compassion, and she has a lot of help (and some extra baggage) in the form of a group of troubled teens who live and work on the ranch, some by sincere invitation and others dumped on Tabatha by their parents. Tabatha’s daughter, Porshia Zimiga, who has the makings of a full-fledged rodeo queen, is both her greatest source of joy and her greatest trial, primarily because Porshia is very nearly a doppelganger of her mother in every respect. Tabatha’s colorful mother, Tracey (Jennifer Ehle, She Said, Dead Ringers), makes moonshine, curses constantly and watches gory horror films while babysitting the youngest of the children. Meanwhile, Tabatha and her partner, Clay Patenaude, have earned a certain notoriety by using TikTok to sell horses and show off Porshia’s considerable skill. The tension between Porshia and Tabatha is palpable at times, as the daughter resents the mother for the loss of her stepfather John, unaware of the truths her mother keeps from her. Daily life is a mix of camaraderie, conflict and survival — whether wrangling colts for neighbors or buying groceries on credit. The ranch becomes both sanctuary and battleground, where independence comes at a price. When wealthy Texas rancher Roy Water (Scoot McNairy, Argo, A Complete Unknown) arrives, his interest in Tabatha’s mares, stallions and land threatens their fragile stability. 

Tabatha and her brood would have made a solid subject for a traditional documentary, which would have been the easier and safer way to go, yet Beecroft’s daring approach is far more true to who Zimiga is as a person. In addition to the obvious influence of Zhao, East of Wall owes something to Terrence Malick, with its emphasis on painstakingly–photographed natural scenery and the occasional mumbled poetic voiceover, though at a lean runtime of 97 minutes, it moves a lot faster. Still, the approach of trying to graft a thin, somewhat forced plotline onto a fly on the wall character study makes for a movie that can feel a bit scattered, and the best sequences are the ones that rely more on the visuals, whether it’s the beautiful landscape or the pain and determination in these women’s eyes, and less on semi-improvisational dialogue that left me feeling like Beecroft had given the direction, “If you get stuck on what to say, the three magic words are ‘Ain’t, fuck and shit.’”

If the badlands and gorgeous cinematography by Austin Shelton (A Late Separation) are the film’s strongest presence, then the real-life mother-daughter team of Tabatha and Porshia are a close second. These captivating women bring a lot of combined screen presence, and while Tabatha often shifts back and forth between coming across like a very unpolished actress or dynamite amateur, Porshia is simply a natural. It’s an interesting irony that McNairy, a skilled character actor who often has a tendency to get lost in the crowd in many films, is almost too dynamic and skilled for this film, constantly working to mute his presence in order to avoid coming across as “the actor.” A brief sequence where Roy and Tracey have a frank talk is the one moment where both are given license to just concentrate on acting instead of being the sheepdogs keeping everyone else headed in the right direction.

I’m still feeling mixed about my opinion of East of Wall, but while I can’t bring myself to say it’s truly a great fuckin’ movie, it sure ain’t shit neither, and there’s a lot to really admire here. Beecroft’s confident and purposeful direction and her smoldering leading ladies make what could have easily played like a gimmick work as a piece of heartfelt — if occasionally meandering — storytelling. – Patrick Gibbs

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