The Unknown Country
Film by Morrisa Maltz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
- Lily Gladstone
- Morrisa Maltz
- Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux
- Vanara Taing
- Katherine Harper
- Laura Heberton
| The Unknown Country | |
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Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Morrisa Maltz |
| Screenplay by | Morrisa Maltz |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Andrew Hajek |
| Edited by | Vanara Taing |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Music Box Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $68,890[2][1] |
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 13, 2022.[3] It was theatrically 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]
A standalone sequel, Jazzy, was released in February 2025.
Plot
Cast
- Lily Gladstone as Tana
- Raymond Lee as Isaac
- Richard Ray Whitman as Grandpa August
- Lainey Bearkiller Shangreaux as Lainey
- Devin Shangreaux as Devin
- Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux as Jazzy
Reception
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
| 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] |