The story follows a young man (Chase Garland) growing up on a large ranch in the Southwest, where he’s guided by his grandfather, Benjamin M. Jones. After making an error when he's younger, and experiencing loss during his time in the military, can he recover? Jessica Nunez-Wood appears as the woman who holds his affection. “Peace River” (2022) is a heartfelt drama that feels very American, including rodeo scenes and elements related to military service. The characters are portrayed as people of faith, so there’s an undercurrent of spirituality present. As I mentioned at the beginning, the acting in the initial portion feels stiff, though it's adequate enough to move forward with, especially considering this is a smaller production rather than a big-budget film with highly paid performers. Even with some less impressive performances, the first half has appealing visuals set against the expansive skies of northern New Mexico, along with plenty of scenes involving horses. Even better, there are moments of genuine insight scattered throughout. However, it’s in the second part that the movie truly excels, honestly tackling difficult aspects of existence without leaving you feeling defeated. The film emphasizes life's most important values: a connection to God, family and friends, purposeful work, and the loyalty of an animal companion, whether a horse or something else. All of this builds toward a powerful sequence that communicates fundamental truths vital for overall well-being. Refer to Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7 if you want to understand what I mean. There was one occasion when I expressed my frustrations directly to God, and it was quite raw; there were tears and everything. My cat wasn’t frightened by the display, but instead seemed to try and comfort me during a very difficult time. The film has a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes and was filmed in northeast New Mexico, specifically near Cimarron at the Philmont Scout Ranches. GRADE: B+/A-

Source on TMDB