The Stolen Valley review – Thelma and Louise-lite road western has right on its side
Director Jesse Edwards’ feature is well intentioned, but paper-thin characters, implausible plot twists and soap-opera moments relegate it to hokey cheapness
On paper this movie looks like it might be following in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of Flower Moon, as another step forward in Hollywood’s representation of Native Americans. Directed by Jesse Edwards, it’s a contemporary western with a well-intentioned storyline about the economic exploitation of Indigenous people over generations, dispossessed of land and resources. The trouble is, it’s also quite possibly the most unconvincing film of the year, with characters so thin you can practically see through them, implausible plot twists and a couple of intensely cringey soap-opera moments.
Briza Covarrubias plays Lupe, a sweet and friendly mechanic in her 20s. Raised by her Navajo mum Adamina (Paula Miranda), Lupe has grown up believing that her father died before she was born. But when her mum is diagnosed with a brain tumour, there’s a shock revelation: he’s alive and owns the land Adamina grew up on. He might even be persuaded to stump up the $50,000 for her cancer treatment. Lupe sets off to find him.
