🎬 Movie Review: Hostile Territory (2022) – A Western Rescue Mission with Heart and Grit

Hostile Territory (2022) rides into familiar territory, but does so with enough grit, emotion, and sweeping visuals to leave a mark. Directed by Brian Presley — who also stars — this indie western war drama blends frontier survival with a story of redemption, sacrifice, and family.

Set shortly after the Civil War, the film follows Jack Calgrove (Presley), a Union soldier presumed dead who returns home to find his children sent away to a government orphan train heading west. Desperate to reunite with them, he embarks on a perilous journey across dangerous lands — facing outlaws, hostile landscapes, and his own haunted past.

Along the way, he teams up with an unlikely group: a freed African American soldier, a Native American scout, and a defiant nurse. Together, they form a ragtag rescue party that gives Hostile Territory its emotional and moral backbone.

🏞️ What Works:

Beautiful cinematography captures the rugged landscape with sweeping drone shots and earthy tones.

Presley delivers a sincere performance, grounding the film’s more melodramatic moments.

The film doesn’t shy away from exploring post-war trauma and racial tensions of the era.

There’s a real emotional pull in the father-children storyline, even when it veers toward sentimentality.

🚧 What Falls Short:

The pacing is uneven; some scenes drag, others rush important character beats.

Some supporting roles feel underdeveloped or overly idealized.

The dialogue can occasionally feel a bit too on-the-nose.

🎯 Final Verdict:
While Hostile Territory doesn’t reinvent the Western, it delivers an earnest and heartfelt tale of redemption and reunion. If you’re a fan of character-driven frontier stories with emotional stakes and a touch of Americana, this one might just hit the mark.

⭐ Rating: 7/10