by Cyn’s Corner

“East of Wall” was the latest surprise in AMC’s Screen Unseen series on August 4th, and I hadn’t even heard of the title. But it turns out the film had its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, which makes sense once you’ve seen it. It’s a quiet, slow-burn docu-drama that leans more into realism than traditional storytelling, and depending on your patience and expectations, that could be either a strength or a stumbling block.

The film centers on Tabitha, a woman trying to keep her rural ranch afloat while caring for a group of misfit kids and teens she’s taken in (as well as her own children). Financial struggles weigh heavily on her, and around 30 minutes in, the main narrative kicks in: a wealthy horse trainer from Texas offers to buy the land, throwing Tabitha and her makeshift family into a new phase of adaptation, tension, and compromise.

But before we even get to that “plot,” the film spends a long time just letting us exist in Tabitha’s world, feeling more like a slice-of-life story than anything else. The cinematography captures the dry, dusty, and unkempt nature of their surroundings. The performances, delivered by mostly non-professional actors — many playing versions of themselves (like last year’s “Sing Sing”) — feel honest. At times, you can tell they’re not even acting. There are moments so raw and specific they hit with a kind of emotional quiet you don’t see in polished studio productions. I also really appreciated the horse riding and rodeo scenes. They add energy, authenticity, and a sense of place that give the film some much-needed momentum during its slower stretches.

And yet, “East of Wall” drags. A lot.

It’s not just the pacing — it’s the structure, or lack thereof. The film meanders, sometimes beautifully, but often in a way that feels indulgent. Scenes are stitched together more for mood than narrative progression. Several shots — though well composed — feel like they’re there just to remind us of how hard this life is, but they don’t always serve the story. That makes some of the transitions jarring, and the runtime feels padded for what little actually happens.

There are also technical issues that can pull you out of the experience. A few scenes suffer from muddled sound design, with dialogue getting lost under ambient noise or inconsistent levels. It’s frustrating, especially in a film that relies so much on naturalistic conversation and subtle emotional beats.

Still, for all its flaws, “East of Wall” stayed with me — not because of its plot, but because of the people it’s about. Tabitha and her crew feel real because they are real. Their lives aren’t shaped into glossy story arcs or forced emotional payoffs like you’d see in a more scripted film. What we get instead is a soft, grounded look at people figuring things out in the margins of America, and that, in itself, is worth something.

This was Kate Beecroft’s directorial debut, and for a first-time filmmaker it’s a solid beginning. It may not be a film I’d give high marks to from a structural or storytelling standpoint, but I have a deep respect for what it’s trying to do and how it chooses to do it. It’s not perfect, but it’s personal. And for the right viewer, that’ll be more than enough.

Rating: 7.3/10.