Peace River

A boy on a big ranch in the Southwest is guided by his wise grandfather (Benjamin M. Jones). As a young man (Chase Garland), he makes a foolish mistake and, later, suffers tragedy in the Service. Can he put the pieces back together? Jessica Nunez-Wood is on hand as the woman he loves.

"Peace River" (2022) is a sentimental and reverent drama that's all-American with rodeo action and military-based aspects. The main characters are believers and so there's a little spirituality of that nature. As noted in my title blurb, the acting in the first half is relatively deadpan, but serviceable enough to roll with, keeping in mind that this is a modest-budget production and not a blockbuster with actors who are paid millions.

Despite some second-rate performances, the first half features nice cinematography in the big sky country of northern New Mexico, not to mention quite a bit of horse-related activities. Even better, there are quality bits of wisdom here or there. It's the latter portion where the movie really shines, though, as it doesn't fail to honestly address the intrinsic problems of life in a fudged-up world, yet doesn't leave you empty and hopeless.

Life's most important things are stressed: Friendship with God, family, friends, meaningful work and the loyalty of your animal, whether a horse or otherwise. Everything leads to a potent sequence that conveys simple truths that are essential to all-around health. See Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7 to get my drift.

One time I was venting to the Creator and it got pretty primal with spit flying and tears flowing. My cat wasn't afraid, but rather came close to comfort me in a scary time of desperation.

It runs 2 hours, 15 minutes, and was shot in northeast New Mexico in the Cimarron area at the Philmont Scout Ranches, etc.

GRADE: B+/A-

This movie was very special. Well written, beautifully acted, heart wrenching, and redemptive, it's a must-see! Faith based movies tend to be underwhelming, but Benjamin Jones wrote an amazing, realistic, gripping, and beautiful script. It was believable, and dealt with topics like faith, prayer, honor, patriotism, betrayal, shame, loss, and redemption unlike any movie I've seen. I cried like a baby. But the message was filled with love, forgiveness, suffering, and the practical application of love even when it seems impossible. I wish every veteran could see this movie because the horrors of war are clear, and so was a message that anyone can have peace in their soul when we turn to God in our anguish. Watch it-you won't be sorry.

Overall, I really liked this movie. I loved the plot, I loved the character development and I loved the settings. The horses and land are just beautiful. The story line broaches some heavy topics like infidelity, death, PTSD, violence in a very real but delicate way. I love the faith aspects and loved seeing a romance without any of the vulgar or inappropriate aspects of mainstream TV. One star less than perfect because it is a little lower production quality than mainstream TV level production, for example the rodeo scenes you can tell there weren't enough extras to fill the arena so the shots are a little odd, also some of the props seemed out of place. It seems about on par with a lot of Christian movies in that way. If you can get past that it really is a beautiful story of ranching, faith, family and love.

One of the best movies I have seen in a long time! There is no trashy parts no bad language which is always a plus for me! Great story and very powerful! I'm assuming a lot of the negative reviews are because this is a Godly movie with strong positive values. A lot of people don't like that these days. The setting and filmography is outstanding. This movie will make you really think about how much soldiers sacrifice for our country. A great love story as well. I would watch it again and again! I hope this review will encourage more people to watch and spread the word about this film. Watch it! You won't regret it!

These cowboy filmmakers milked every cow to the last drop in terms of resources. The film felt more like a true story than fiction which truly proves the importance of the universal human conditions portrayed in the film. With a great script, acting, and true to life locations, the story really resonates. About 2/3rds of the way through I literally said out loud "I can't wait to watch this again!" The cinematography was impressive, fans of Terrance Mallick (Tree Of Life, A Hidden Life, Thin Red Line) will appreciate the camerawork throughout the film that conveys the true beauty of life throughout the film. An instant classic for the audience it finds. Watched the night of its premiere on Pure Flix.