Cowboys (II) (2020) User Reviews

Yes, trans people were involved

[bakerstreetdozen · 7/10 · 7 January 2023]

Really not sure what the one reviewer is talking about when they say "no trans people were involved." The actor who plays the transgender child Joe (Sasha Knight) IS TRANS. He says in interviews he was assigned female at birth but is a boy. The director also says she went out of her way to hire an actor with the lived experience of being trans. She also went out of her way to speak directly with other trans kids and their parents in order to make sure the movie and role were respectful.

Please actually do some research before making such a brash assumption. A trans child played a trans character, trans people WERE INVOLVED.

Please forget all these transphobic reviews

[courtneybrookeharris · 7/10 · 15 February 2021]

This is a very timely and moving film about acceptance. I loved the story and I loved Steve Zahn in this part. I don't normally write reviews, but the hate is from people who are obviously transphobic and maybe they just shouldn't have even watched it (if they even did). It didn't push any agenda, in my opinion. It was a father who was accepting of their child and just wanted their happiness and best interest to be upheld. It also touches on mental health, which is a very, very real problem, especially in America these days. If you enjoy these things plus a lot of heart I would recommend checking it out!

endearing Zahn

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 December 2021]

Troy (Steve Zahn) is a troubled man. He and his child Joe (Sasha Knight) are riding a horse into the wilderness like two cowboys. Joe's mother Sally (Jillian Bell) is besides herself. She calls the police. Her child is missing. Local cop Faith (Ann Dowd) leads the search.

Steve Zahn is such an endearing actor. He really shows the heart of this character. Everybody is doing good here. Non of the main characters are villains. It's a matter of love, understanding, and tragic mistakes. The movie does seem to be building up to a tragic ending. I can see why filmmaker Anna Kerrigan pulls back and refuses to go down that road. I'm not saying that it's wrong. It's just a bit of a down gear shift.

Engaging

[Gordon-11 · 4 May 2021]

It tells an engaging story of acceptance and love. Acting by the child is good, and the scenery is beautiful as well.

it's really mom's story

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 12 February 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. Marriage is difficult, and adding parenting to the mix brings significantly more challenges. However when the marriage crumbles, the parenting piece becomes even more complex - for the adults and the kids. Writer-director Anna Kerrigan takes that hand and raises the stakes with a husband/father battling a mental illness, a wife/mother sticking to her idealistic vision, and a frustrated child who is absolutely certain they are in the wrong body.

Sally (Jillian Bell) is a loving mother who wants to buy dolls, dresses and "pretty" boots for her daughter Josie (Sasha Knight). The problem is that Josie is more comfortable in the world of her dad - guns, belt buckles, horses, and hanging with buddies. Troy (Steve Zahn) enjoys a bond with his daughter and is appreciative that she likes "guy" things. The best scene in the film occurs when Josie demands to be Joe. Sitting in the truck with dad, Joe claims to be a boy, not a girl. Troy initially laughs it off, but quickly comes around the seriousness of the situation. Having a transgender child requires more sensitivity than Troy has previously displayed, and he handles the moment well.

It's Sally who pushes this off as the action of a confused adolescent, and makes a good point about how any child would find hunting and bowling preferable to washing dishes and scrubbing toilets. This of itself makes a strong statement. The interesting thing about Kerrigan's film is that the transgender aspect is really not the focus. Troy and Joe take off on a camping trip in the Montana forest, with the goal of escaping to Canada. They are each outsiders in their own way, and heading to the country of "nice people" who will accept them is just too good to pass up.

Of course, a parent kidnapping their kid is never the right move, and soon a detective (Ann Dowd) is on their trail. Troy loses his medication and his behavior becomes more erratic, pushing Joe into a spot they are too young to handle. Flashbacks are used to fill in the family history, and show us each character's flaws and difficulties. The film lacks the dramatics that we might expect given the subject matter, but I most appreciated how Sally was treated as a real person - a hard working woman, a frustrated wife, and a mother who wants the best for her child, even if her path from denial to acceptance is gut-wrenching. The film suffers a bit from the extraneous baggage of Troy's medication and temper, but the message comes through in the end. As a bonus, we see some beautiful scenery along the way. Available VOD on February 12, 2021

An eye opening

[Mohamad021 · 7/10 · 26 February 2021]

This is a great movie because of it's story. There are people who dealt and deal with the Trans lifestyle. It is an eye opening and telling you the story that needs to be told. It is not fair to spoil this movie by writing about it but to say that it worth watching if you're looking for a well written story.

Worth your time

[Mazou2425 · 7/10 · 2 April 2023]

Cowboys is a very touching movie in my opinion, not in the way that it'll make you cry, but more in the way it'll make you think. You can't help but root for the father many times during the movie. It tackles the issue of parents unable to accept their child once they come out as trans. The acting was nice, the scenery was beautiful and the characters were interesting and had a certain depth to them. You could get in their shoes and understand them. Overall I thought it was a very simple, authentic movie. You don't watch it for a car chase, you watch it for the message it has and how it portrays it.

Once again trans people are left out.

[aniyaromaingerjd · 7/10 · 17 November 2021]

A movie about a trans kid with no transgender actors of any sort.

I can't say anything else about the film other than it attempts to do something well. But when you leave out the people you're trying to include.

What is it with low rating ? Solid performance from the actors

[nonsensefans · 10/10 · 1 March 2021]

First of all, I almost not watching this cause of the low rating.. I'm so glad I saw it was fresh 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I check it out.. The performances are great, Steve Zahn is a solid actor, so of course he managed to give a wonderful performance as a mentally ill father, the kid is good too.. Storyline are well paced, plus there's some thrilling moments, so you won't get bored.. Don't give rating if you biased or don't see through ending cause sometimes this Indie movie is well worth watching.. They need some supports

Sometimes a young child knows more than the parent

[justahunch-70549 · 7/10 · 24 November 2023]

I think Steve Zahn is such an underrated actor. He's been good and likable in everything I've ever seen him in. He doesn't have a ton of range, but neither do most actors. Unusual story of a man living in the mountains of Montana who has a 13 year old daughter who believes that she is a boy trapped in a female body. Dad believes that she should live the life that she is most comfortable in and treats her as a son, but the mother, who he is separated from, does not agree and wants her child to behave as a girl should. Sadly, Zahn's character has some mental issues, though he functions well with medication which unfortunately is lost in the midst of him taking his child by horseback on a trip to Canada without the mother's permission. As close as his daughter is with him, she wants to live with him over her somewhat cold mother, this is in the eyes of the law, kidnapping. Without his meds, the father starts unraveling a bit and she has to become the adult in this situation. I don't believe that this sweet little movie was ever actually released in theaters. That's a shame.

Plain disappointing

[warder-79173 · 1/10 · 24 July 2021]

Although filled with beautiful scenery, the film suffers from a weak storyline, mediocre acting & a child character that seems to spend most of the movie throwing fits & tantrums. Couldn't maintain interest throughout the movie.

Escaping to Pastures New...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 13 May 2021]

A genuinely honest, brave and contemporary tale of a bi-polar father escaping the confines of societal expectations alongside his young trans son. Great performances, great scenery, candid and incredibly heartfelt - well worth exploring.

Gimme a break......

[willandcharlenebrown · 1/10 · 6 June 2021]

Stupid movie and waste of time. Save 2 hours of your life and watch something better the Andy Griffin Show.

Lovely & Important

[atractiveeyes · 8/10 · 15 February 2021]

It's nice and well made. The story is so beautiful and interesting with an important topic and a beautiful message. Cinematography is great with many stunning shots in the wilderness. Cowboys is just awesome, simple, emotional, and well written, directed and acted.

A shallow beauty

[fraze-307-720256 · 18 May 2021]

Rotten Tomatoes tricked me on this one. Like other reviewers here I was struck by the beautiful backdrop to this ultimately unsatisfying story that artfully avoids delving into the more meaningful issues surrounding mental illness. If you lose interest at any point I'd recommend walking away entirely to avoid wasting more time - the downward spiral gets steeper as you go.

For something real and gripping amid breathtaking scenery try Free Solo instead.

Everything is bad about the movie

[babychyuriy · 1/10 · 15 March 2021]

Such a poor acting, the worst which I've seen recently. Extremely primitive story. See no reasons for you to waste your time on that

Better than I expected

[johnfclerkin · 8/10 · 20 March 2021]

Really good film with a dad trying to do his best for his child

Loved It

[tbenson97 · 10/10 · 16 June 2021]

This movie was so wholesome, I loved the father son dynamic so much. I haven't seen many movies with trans storylines that have a happy ending so it was refreshing that this one ended on a good note. Great acting all around.

This is not a lifestyle.

[gracie_jimenez · 10/10 · 13 January 2023]

People choose the lifestyle they want to live. These kids don't wake up in the morning and wish to change their gender. I personally loved this movie because it dealt with two realities of life: transgender kids and mental health parents. I hope more people see this film.

I live in Texas and come from a very conservative family. I have chosen to not be like my family (they are a lot like the mother of the little girl in this film). Don't get me wrong they are good people that choose to be homophobic for religious reasons. I'm a boomer and learn so much every day by being open minded. The less I judge the happier I am.

Very good performances, especiall by Sasha Knight.

[jizbang · 8/10 · 13 February 2021]

I did see the film at Outfest last july. The performances were great, a surprise from both Steve Zahn and Jillian Bell, who are mostly known for broad comedic roles, but here giving understated and authentic performances. The story was unexpected and atypical, with the trans daughter both closer to and accepted by her father, but not the mother. But it is the performance by Sasha Knight as their trans daughter that was a revelation. This was not a child actor playing trans, but a trans-identified child playing their truth. She won an outstanding performance in a US feature award for the performance at Outfest, and Steve Zahn won a best actor award at the Tribeca film festival. This film would have gained more attention if given a traditional theatrical release, but now, people will hopefully discover it.

Honest...Real!

[chermcguire · 8/10 · 2 August 2021]

Love the music! The acting is good! No special effects, just a great film with a realistic story.

Great film!

[avenuesf · 8/10 · 2 September 2020]

I was fortunate to be able see this film on Outfest's virtual festival this week and I really enjoyed it. "Cowboys" deals with a husband and wife who have differing viewpoints on how to parent their transgender son. The film takes place in a small, seemingly conservative town in Montana. The performances from Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell, Ann Dowd (always excellent) and Sasha Knight are what really light it up..

The film's strength is that it makes an attempt to understand every character and why they react the way they do. There are no "bad guys." The characters, like most of us, make mistakes not because they're punitive people, but simply because they don't understand. There aren't a lot of films that can take that perspective and use it successfully. Steve Zahn's portrayal of Troy, the very accepting father is funny and moving at times. My only real complaint of the film, and it's a mild one, is that I could have used more of a "heads up" that his character was bipolar... strangely, it seems to come out of left field halfway through the film and knowing more about it in advance would have added more depth to his performance.

Mostly, "Cowboys" is really a family film, and hopefully will be marketed that way, as the message is an important one. There are no overt sex scenes or serious violence. There are a few times the "f word" is used, and I hope this doesn't disqualify the film from a PG or PG-13 rating so the film can find as wide an audience as possible.

I also hope Anna Kerrigan has the opportunity to write and make more films like this. Besides being a very entertaining, it's also beautifully photographed.

beautiful film

[susanl-1 · 10/10 · 19 February 2021]

I had no idea what this movie was about and was blown away. I thought it was beautiful, with fantastic performances and dialogue. There were moments I found myself gasping with emotion, and others I was sincerely chuckling, or couldn't get a mile off my face. It's usually hard to succeed when the tone has both humor and drama, and this did the job. I especially thought the score was fantastic. I haven't seen a movie I love this much in a long time!

Beautiful film, great acting, some aspects of the story could have benefited from more nuance

[natecarlson-331-691523 · 9/10 · 14 January 2023]

This was a really beautiful film, great performances, especially from young actor Sasha Knight, it's great to be seeing more trans stories and representation in Hollywood these days albeit largely in smaller films such as this.

Steve Zahn was also excellent, though I feel his character could have been written with more nuance at the climax, and the deterioration felt a little overblown and undercuts the fact that he is trying to do what's best for his son even if his methods are wrong. Perhaps the writer/director Anna Kerrigan didn't want to portray other characters too harshly or stray too close to condoning the sort of actions that Zahn's character chooses to take. Nevertheless, this is a story issue, Zahn's character was largely heartwarming and his performance deeply moving and enjoyable to watch. And of course the themes are so timely. There are scenes when you really get a visceral feeling of what it might be like at times for a trans kid growing up in cis society.

The cinematography and score were also lovely. The opening shot really transports you to Montana, there's a feeling you get cresting a hill and taking in country like that that is hard to describe but beautifully captured here. Definitely worth a watch!

What a struggle!

[dcoydcoy · 8/10 · 19 February 2021]

The story of a little boy that wants to be a real boy and becomes one in the end! Well written and an extraordinary performance by Zahn. Films like this are so necessary in today's society. We still have a few with primitive mentalities and values. This film hopefully opens the minds of a few of those.