---
title: "First Cow: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/first-cow/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/first-cow"
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 30
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# First Cow (2020): what the critics said

Critics' score 79 from 30 reviews: 23 positive, 6 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics like First Cow a great deal, and they like it for the same reason. The praise clusters on the friendship between Cookie and King-Lu, and on the unforced rapport between John Magaro and Orion Lee, which several reviews name as the source of the film’s feeling. Reichardt’s patience is the other recurring compliment: her attention to process, the tactile period detail of the outpost, and a landscape that becomes a character in its own right. Several also find it funnier and warmer than her earlier work.

The reservations are narrow and familiar. The pace is slow and the film is long, and a few critics admit it may lose the impatient. Slant Magazine thinks the two leads work better as symbols than as people, and Vulture finds the writing slackens once the scheme is under way. The lone dissenter is The New Yorker, which sees the film’s suspense and political point undone by a predetermined, impersonal approach.

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 5/5. 28 May 2021. 

O’Sullivan calls the film stunning and urges readers to see it first. She singles out William Tyler’s soundtrack for its heart-rending effect.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/first-cow-review-western-kelly-reichardt-first-movie-b937382.html)

## The i Paper — Joseph Walsh

Rating ★★★★★. 25 February 2020. Festival review. 

Walsh regards the film as one of Reichardt’s finest, praising its gentle authority. He singles out the warmth and everyday intimacy of Cookie and King Lu’s friendship.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/first-cow-review-berlin-film-festival-kelly-reichardt-film-release-launch-odd-couple-tale-male-friendship-toby-jones-401680)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating A-. 31 August 2019. Festival review. 

Kohn praises the film as a hypnotic, warm story that brings Reichardt’s recurring themes into focus. He singles out the tender bond between the two friends and the film’s communion with the Pacific Northwest landscape.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/first-cow-review-kelly-reichardt-1202169928/)

## Little White Lies — Sophie Monks Kaufman

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The critic finds the film a sublime, quietly affecting portrait of friendship and class. She singles out its transfixing visual detail and tactile world-building for praise.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/first-cow-berlin-film-festival-review)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2020. 

Chang praises the film as an atmospheric, suspenseful story that treats its characters with clear-eyed affection rather than easy triumphalism. He singles out Reichardt’s patient attention to process and detail, along with the lived-in world it creates.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-03-04/first-cow-review-kelly-reichardt)

## Sight and Sound

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2020. 

The critic finds the film a playful, poignant and quietly winning western. They praise its exquisite period details and its affectionate portrayal of a diverse pioneer community.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/first-cow-kelly-reichardt-oregon-milk-rustling-western)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 February 2020. Festival review. 

Bradshaw finds the film tremendously engaging and praises its forceful, distinctive storytelling. He singles out its beautifully simple cinematography and palpable sense of financial jeopardy.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/22/first-cow-review-kelly-reichardt-superbly-chewy-tale-of-milk-cakes-in-the-old-west)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2019. Festival review. 

Rooney finds the film hypnotic, beautiful, and absorbing despite its sparse narrative. He especially praises the believable rapport between Magaro and Lee, which gives the quiet story its emotional force.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/first-cow-review-telluride-2019-1234367/)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating B+. 4 March 2020. 

Dowd finds the film a touching portrait of friendship and a quietly incisive American creation myth. He especially praises the gentle rapport between John Magaro and Orion Lee, while noting the film’s deliberately meditative pace may be an acquired taste.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kelly-reichardt-s-first-cow-finds-an-american-creation-1842070712)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2021. 

Freer finds the film beautifully rendered and its friendship deeply affecting, though it does not break much new ground. He singles out the understated performances of John Magaro and Orion Lee, especially Magaro’s gentle, carefully modulated portrayal.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/first-cow/)

## Radio Times — Beth Webb

Rating 4/5. 

The review is positive about the film’s humane focus on the need for connection. It singles out the gentle bond between Cookie and King-Lu as the story’s heart.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hhqvla/first-cow/)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 4/5. 27 February 2020. 

The review calls the film quietly powerful and praises its earthy poetry. It singles out Reichardt’s evocative rendering of early American life.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/first-cow)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2020. 

Edelstein finds the film haunting and moving, ultimately redefining home through friendship. He praises the chemistry and tenderness of the two leads, while faulting the writing once their scheme is underway.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/first-cow-movie-review-kelly-reichardts-frontier-drama.html)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2019. Festival review. 

Debruge finds the film lean but engaging, with a melancholy, open-ended story. He especially praises the tender bond between Cookie and King-Lu, which the film’s intimate framing brings into focus.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/first-cow-review-1203319530/)

## Screen Daily — Stephen Whitty

Fi1m's normalised score 66/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2019. Festival review. 

The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst describes the film as an Old West tale of love and money, without giving a specific element praised or criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/first-cow-new-york-review/5143287.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 66/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2020. 

The page appears to be a review, but its verdict cannot be determined from the blocked text. No specific praise or complaint is available in the accessible material.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/movies/first-cow-review.html)

## Film Comment — Imogen Sara Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The piece considers Reichardt’s film alongside Olanda, framing them as sharing concerns with nature and capitalism. The available text gives no specific verdict or further praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/phantom-light-kelly-reichardt-first-cow-bernd-shoch-olanda/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page appears to be RogerEbert.com’s review of the matching film, but its verdict cannot be established from the blocked page. No specific praise or complaint is visible.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/first-cow-movie-review-2020)

## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich

Rating 2.5/4. 6 October 2019. Festival review. 

The review finds the film’s social critique compelling but says its leads feel more like symbols than fully realized people. It praises the vividly realized outpost and the supporting cast, especially the film’s quietly observed details.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/first-cow-review-kelly-reichardt/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2020. 

Brody finds the film divided against itself, with its suspense and political insight undermined by a predetermined, impersonal approach. He praises Reichardt’s attentive portrayal of Chinook culture, but faults the film for narrowing its characters and experiences into a didactic argument.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/first-cow-reviewed-kelly-reichardts-fatalistic-portrait-of-early-american-entrepreneurs)

## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn

Rating ★★★★★. 24 February 2020. 

Dunn praises Reichardt’s film as her sweetest and funniest to date, while finding hope in its downbeat view of the American Dream. He singles out the warm humour and tender friendship between Cookie and King-Lu.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/first-cow-kelly-reichardt-berlin-2020)

## Paste — Natalia Keogan

Rating 9.1/10. 10 July 2020. 

Keogan finds the film’s humane vision a compelling contrast to the selfishness and inequality of capitalism. She praises the earnest humor and the nourishing friendship at its center.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kelly-reichardt/first-cow-streaming-review)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic calls the film Kelly Reichardt’s finest feature to date and finds it funny, compelling, and moving. They single out John Magaro and Orion Lee’s excellent portrayal of the friendship at its core.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/first-cow-review-2613883)

## Polygon — Karen Han

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2020. 

The critic calls the film sublime, praising its tender portrayal of Cookie and King-Lu’s friendship. She singles out the actors’ rapport and the quiet domestic gestures that make their connection feel moving.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2020/3/6/21168331/first-cow-review-a24-kelly-reichardt-john-magaro-orion-lee-toby-jones/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2020. 

The critic considers the film a quiet masterwork, rich in humane melancholy. They single out the expressive cinematography, which makes the surrounding landscape feel like a central character.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/first-cow-film-review-kelly-reichardt/)

## The Ringer — Adam Nayman

Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 5 March 2020. 

Nayman finds the film moving, sincere, and beautifully made, while acknowledging that its ambling pace may not suit every viewer. He especially praises the tenderness and mutual respect in Cookie and King Lu’s friendship, alongside the film’s subtle handling of class and history.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2020/03/05/movies/first-cow-review-kelly-reichardt)

## Collider — Orestes Adam

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2023. 

The critic praises the film as a tender, quietly affecting revisionist Western. They single out Reichardt’s meditative style and the warmth of Cookie and King-Lu’s friendship.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/first-cow-movie-western/)

## /Film — Marshall Shaffer

Rating 8/10. 10 July 2020. Festival review. 

Shaffer finds the film a fascinating, touching deconstruction of American capitalism and the Western. He praises Reichardt’s intimate portrayal of friendship and the tension between self-sacrifice and self-interest.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/569987/first-cow-review/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2021. 

Wilkinson finds the film quietly affirmative, with friendship offering warmth amid an emerging commercial world. She praises Reichardt’s organic atmosphere and the gentle way she sets the characters’ dreams against capitalism.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/first-cow-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 3/5. 4 March 2020. 

Crow finds the film emotionally poignant and ultimately haunting, though its slow pacing and long runtime make it less involving. He praises the intelligent ending and the affectionate portrait of fellowship between the two leads.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/first-cow-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/first-cow.md