The degree of difficulty in making East of Wall must have been enormous: a small budget, a series of remote locations, a slew of non-actor performers, and the incredibly arduous task of working with horses. Written and directed by Kate Beecroft, the film stars Tabatha Zimiga as a version of herself. In real life, Zimiga runs a South Dakota ranch where she raises horses she then sells via social media. Her daughter Porshia also stars here, and is quite good. The film as a whole is a fictional narrative wrapped up in the facts of the Zimiga clan. Following the untimely death of her husband, Tabatha is burdened with significant financial responsibilities as well as a large chosen family that lives at her ranch: a number of older children with no place to go have found a home with her and her biological children.

The great Jennifer Ehle plays Tracey, Tabatha’s mother, while indie staple Scoot McNairy puts in solid supporting work as Roy, a mysterious benefactor who may provide the key to the ranch’s survival. Or its downfall. Without question, this film’s horse-riding sequences are the standout––Beecroft and cinematographer Austin Shelton put the camera in the absolute right place to convey the majesty of these creatures. There is also a reliable soundtrack (music supervision is credited to Simon Astall and Sadie Matthew) that offers a baseline of emotional energy that evens out a tonally complex narrative. It’s endlessly compelling to be invited into a world that appears hard to comprehend from the outside while, for the characters, it’s only the place they know.

Beecroft asks so much of Zimiga. Perhaps too much. She’s lead of the picture, acting against pros like Ehle and McNairy, and tasked with delivering an intensely emotional monologue at a critical juncture in the film. All this considered, she gives an impressive performance––where there may be limitations in range, they are well worth it for the honesty onscreen. There is one line read that will linger on for some time: “You can’t imagine how much blood a carpet can hold.”

Once all pieces are in place and the central conflict is established, East of Wall unfortunately slows down a bit too much, relying on montage and trite character beats to band-aid significant plot developments. Where it’s all leading is not unexpected and a bit too resolute for what has been established. One wishes we had gotten to know the entire family on the ranch a little bit better. Yet there are extended sequences of agony (a reflection on abuse between the women in the film) and brief moments of ecstasy (the aforementioned horse-riding) that elevate East of Wall into something revealing and essential.

Beecroft has captured that bittersweet, specific feeling of place––she effectively conveys that it’s not about the where, but the who. Tabatha Zimiga is an extraordinary person, and East of Wall is smart to position her as such.

East of Wall premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Grade: B-

No more articles