by Cyn’s Corner

“Okay, that wasn’t what I expected.”

That was my first reaction to “Killing Faith,” and I mean that in the best possible way. The new Western from writer-director Ned Crowley surprised me with its tone, story, and emotional undercurrent. I went in knowing almost nothing — deliberately avoiding the full synopsis — and I’m glad I did, because the experience turned out to be far more intriguing than I anticipated.

Set in Arizona, 1849, the film follows a small group traveling across a dangerous, plague-ravaged landscape. At the center of the story is a mute little girl with a mysterious past, and a woman (DeWanda Wise) determined to get her to safety. Guy Pearce’s hardened character reluctantly joins their journey, and a young ranch hand named Edward (Jack Alcott) tags along, adding some humor to the group dynamic.

The performances anchor this film. Guy Pearce embodies a man scarred by life — rough, rude, and deeply damaged — but still capable of small, flickering moments of decency. DeWanda Wise brings warmth and quiet strength; her expressive hazel eyes do a lot of the storytelling. Jack Alcott provides welcome levity as Edward, the talkative farmhand whose chatter offsets the film’s heavier tone. And while Bill Pullman doesn’t appear until the final act (roughly thirty minutes before the credits), his character adds more weight to the story.

Crowley captures the bleakness of the desert beautifully. The dusty visuals, harsh light, and quiet tension make the dangers feel tangible. The writing and dialogue are solid throughout — sometimes witty, often grounded — and the film’s slower pace lets the unease build naturally.

While “Killing Faith” works as a straight survival Western, it carries an additional layer I didn’t see coming — something I’ll avoid spoiling here, but it gives the film a spiritual and supernatural edge that deepens the tension. It’s this unexpected element that elevates the movie beyond a simple frontier tale and keeps you guessing about where it’s headed.

Not everything lands perfectly though. A few quick edits and scene transitions feel abrupt or unclear. There’s one brief shot of someone sitting on the ground that left me wondering who I was looking at and another sequence that unfolds so quickly it takes a moment to piece together what actually happened, even after the brief exposition explaining the events. These moments don’t derail the story, but they interrupt the flow just enough to notice.

“Killing Faith” isn’t flashy or action-packed, but it’s absorbing, well-acted, and quietly haunting. Its world feels lived-in, its dangers real, and its story layered with meaning. Even if you’re not typically drawn to Westerns, there’s something unexpectedly compelling here — a meditation on survival, faith, and the darkness that follows both.

Rating: 7.5/10