Move over, 'Knives Out': This quiet Western movie is Josh O’Connor’s real 2025 triumph

In the middle of a prolific 2025 run — including Kelly Reichardt’s heist flick "The Mastermind," the queer period romance "The History of Sound" opposite Paul Mescal, and the star-studded "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" — Josh O’Connor managed to squeeze in one of the year's most profound performances.

In Max Walker-Silverman’s neo-Western drama "Rebuilding," O’Connor portrays a stoic cowboy navigating the practical loss and emotional wreckage of a wildfire that devastated his family’s land. It is an increasingly topical subject for a world regularly contending with the harshness of climate change. "The timing of sharing it at Sundance ... off the back of the terrible L.A. wildfires, was extraordinary," O’Connor told W Magazine. "But I also think there’s another aspect: how we treat people who have lost everything ... these people are disregarded."

It’s yet another quietly devastating role for the leading man who broke hearts in "La Chimera" — and it’s available to rent on Prime Video.

The plot: What is 'Rebuilding' about?

Rebuilding | Official Trailer | Bleecker Street - YouTube

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After losing his family ranch and its iconic blue barn to a widespread wildfire, thirtysomething reclusive cowboy and divorced dad Thomas "Dusty" Fraser Jr. (O'Connor) does what many real-life survivors do: he moves to a small FEMA camp in the American West.

While navigating the logistics of reassembling a life from debris, Dusty is welcomed by a ragtag community of fellow refugees, most notably:

• Mali (Kali Reis): A single mother who provides much-needed warmth.
• Ruby (Meghann Fahy): Dusty’s ex-wife, part of his fractured family tree.
• Bess (Amy Madigan): His former mother-in-law.
• Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre): Dusty’s young daughter, played by LaTorre in a performance that elevates the role well beyond the typical "cute kid" trope.

Why you should watch 'Rebuilding' tonight

There is a spare grace to "Rebuilding" that calls to mind Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-winning "Nomadland" — exploring what happens to ordinary folks left behind by the world — mixed with the wistful grief found in O’Connor’s own "La Chimera."

• Emotional Depth: It is a bare-bones film that packs immense power into long country silences and wide-open spaces.
• Universal Themes: Whether dealing with pandemics or personal heartbreaks, there is a common ground in Dusty's struggle to regain his footing as the world quakes beneath him.
• Critical Acclaim: Written and directed by Max Walker-Silverman, this "taciturn drama" has earned a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. Critics praise the film for having "a lot to say about community and resilience," with O’Connor’s performance serving as its "rock-solid foundation."

Stream "Rebuilding" on Prime Video with purchase now

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