The old west was a place of wonder and possibility, where one could hop on a horse with little more than the clothes on their back and a few supplies and head out to find their destiny. The new West has lost this. Now a land of established farms and ranches, one might head there to find themselves, but decades of corporatization and rising costs of living mean, along with the mechanization and automation of the available work, times are tough for many who still live there.
East of Wall tells the story of one family in South Dakota living through this reality. Tabatha Zimiga (playing herself) is a fixture in the South Dakota horse trade. She owns 3000 acres of land, has several children of her own plus several more living with her, and has an eye for horses unparalleled by anyone save maybe her eldest daughter, Porshia (also playing herself). Times aren’t easy, though; all that land and all those mouths to feed cost money, and the horse trade isn’t doing as well as it could since Tabatha’s husband died. Since his death, she has become more distant and refuses to ride a horse herself.
In the midst of all this arrives Roy Waters (McNairy), a wealthy rancher from Texas with an eye for business but not for horses, proposes to buy Tabatha’s land –and by extension, expertise- in order to break into the Dakota horse market. The story itself is not that unique, but its portrayal is endearing and heartbreaking. The story in particular, of Tabatha and Porshia’s difficulty connecting through their grief is poignant and both heartbreaking and affirming.
Link: https://keithlovesmovies.com/2025/08/15/east-of-wall-review/
East of Wall: An Endearing Story of Loss and Redemption | KeithLovesMovies
