Joaquin Phoenix gives another performance full of character, though the film itself feels like an unfocused try at a western with a rather flimsy plot underneath. He plays “Cross,” a sheriff struggling with his health, who finds himself in conflict with Mayor “Ted” – played by Pedro Pascal, who seems to be everywhere in 2025 – in a small town in New Mexico. It's election season, and the mayor is running for re-election when events happening in their increasingly under-protected town prompt “Cross” to also enter the race. As the film progresses, we learn about the origins of this long-standing disagreement, all set against a backdrop of COVID safety measures, his strained marriage with “Lou” (Emma Stone), and an even more difficult relationship with his mother-in-law "Dawn" (Deirdre O’Connell), which helps explain the mindset of a lawman drifting through life. A large corporation is planning to build one of those massive data centers in town, promising jobs and economic growth – at least that's what they claim; but will it truly benefit the local community? The aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis is also causing unrest in their area, and he doesn't have the strength or intelligence to handle these problems. With tensions rising and him nearing his breaking point, will he lose control? It might connect more with an American perspective on small-town life, and it does offer occasional moments of dark humor – often involving questioning mask mandates or the right to demonstrate in public places; however, it doesn't really come to life until the final ten minutes, and by then I honestly couldn’t have cared less about any of these characters or what they were going through. It attempts to critique local politics but not particularly creatively, and it takes too long to get started. Pascal excels at a minimalist style, but here he contributes little to a weak production that tries to cover too much ground and feels riddled with plot holes, relying on Phoenix to inject some energy into something I found mostly dull. Not for me.

Source on TMDB