Butcher’s Crossing, directed by Gabe Polsky and released in 2023, is a gripping Western drama based on John Williams’ 1960 novel of the same name. The film stars Nicolas Cage as Miller, a rugged buffalo hunter, alongside Fred Hechinger as Will Andrews, a young man seeking purpose in the untamed American West of the 1870s.

Plot Summary

The story follows Will Andrews, a disillusioned Harvard dropout, who ventures west in search of meaning and adventure. He arrives in the remote town of Butcher’s Crossing, where he meets Miller, a seasoned hunter obsessed with finding a legendary herd of buffalo hidden deep in the Colorado wilderness.

Will joins Miller’s hunting expedition, along with two other hardened frontiersmen. What begins as a promising journey soon descends into a brutal struggle for survival. Harsh weather, dwindling supplies, and the relentless pursuit of the buffalo drive the men into physical and psychological torment. As the line between hunter and hunted blurs, Will is forced to confront his own ideals about nature, humanity, and obsession.