The Unknown Country

The Unknown Country
Official release poster
Directed byMorrisa Maltz
Screenplay byMorrisa Maltz
Story by
  • Lily Gladstone
  • Morrisa Maltz
  • Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux
  • Vanara Taing
Produced by
  • Katherine Harper
  • Laura Heberton
Starring
CinematographyAndrew Hajek
Edited byVanara Taing
Music by
Production
companies
  • Cold Iron Pictures
  • Wooden Fingers Studios
Distributed byMusic Box Films
Release dates
  • March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) (SXSW)
  • July 28, 2023 (2023-07-28) (United States)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$68,890[1][2]

The Unknown Country is a 2022 American drama film directed by Morrisa Maltz, from a screenplay by Maltz and a story by Maltz, Lily Gladstone, Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux, and Vanara Taing. It stars Gladstone and Raymond Lee.

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 13, 2022.[3] It was released by Music Box Films in the United States on July 28, 2023.[4][5] For her work, Gladstone won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance.[6]

Plot

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A grieving woman embarks on a road trip through the American Midwest after receiving an unexpected invitation to reunite with her estranged Oglala Lakota family.

Cast

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Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 50 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Lily Gladstone's outstanding performances powers The Unknown Country through some narrative drift to its ultimately profound destination."[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 27, 2023 Outstanding Lead Performance Lily Gladstone Won [9]
Denver International Film Festival November 12, 2022 American Independent Award – Best Feature Film The Unknown Country Nominated [10]
Honorable Mention Won
South by Southwest March 20, 2022 SXSW Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award Nominated [11]
Cinema Eye Honors January 12, 2024 Heterodox Award Nominated [12]
Americana Film Fest March 15, 2023 Audience Award – Next Nominated [13]
Montclair Film Festival October 30, 2022 Future/Now Nominated [14]
Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival September 25, 2022 Jury Award – Best Feature Won [15]
Outstanding Achievement in Editing Vanara Taing Won
Champs-Élysées Film Festival June 28, 2022 Longs métrages américains The Unknown Country Nominated [16]
Calgary International Film Festival October 2, 2022 International Narrative Competition Nominated [17]

References

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  1. ^ "The Unknown Country (2023)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Unknown Country (2022)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Unknown Country". SXSW 2023 Schedule. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 5, 2022). "Music Box Boards SXSW Road Trip Drama 'The Unknown Country' Starring 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Actress Lily Gladstone". Deadline. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Raup, Jordan (June 16, 2023). "Lily Gladstone Takes a Journey Through The Unknown Country in First Trailer for SXSW Hit". Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Pedersen, Erik; Goldsmith, Jill (November 28, 2023). "Gotham Awards: Lily Gladstone Wins Lead Performance Prize For 'The Unknown Country' – Updating Live". Deadline. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "The Unknown Country". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  8. ^ "The Unknown Country". Metacritic. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  9. ^ Brew, Caroline (November 28, 2023). "'Past Lives' Takes Best Feature at Gotham Awards: Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "46th Denver Film Festival". denverfilmfestival.eventive.org. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Unknown Country". SXSW 2024 Schedule. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Saperstein, Pat (November 16, 2023). "'Kokomo City' Leads Nominations for Cinema Eye Documentary Honors". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "The Unknown Country". Americana Film Fest (in Catalan). Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "2022 Montclair Film Festival Award Winners Announced!". montclairfilm.org. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  15. ^ 2022 Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival: The Unknown Country, retrieved November 28, 2023
  16. ^ "Champs-Élysées Film Festival - 21 au 28 juin 2022". www.champselyseesfilmfestival.com (in French). Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY » CIFF". www.ciffcalgary.ca. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
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