The movie’s subtle conclusion has a “big reveal” that takes a moment to comprehend — probably not the grand gesture you might expect from the story’s battle of wills.
Adapted from Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel, the movie begins with two rancher brothers, Phil , move in with them.
We hear that Phil dies from anthrax, but it’s not stated outright that the source was some contaminated rawhide that Peter gives to Phil.
Instead, we are left to feel the release of tension and anguish that has built up throughout the film.
On a storytelling level, the enigmatic ending is partly a matter of point of view: like Phil, we aren’t aware that all this is happening.
In her most famous film, “The Piano,” Holly Hunter’s Ada moves from being stuck in a coercive bargain over her prized possession, to finding sexual release with her captor.
Her Henry James adaptation “The Portrait of a Lady” ended with a haunting, hanging moment as Nicole Kidman’s Isabel contemplates a bereft future.