A taciturn loner and skilled cook has traveled west with a group of fur trappers to the Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, though its longevity relies upon the clandestine participation of a wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise director Kelly Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana, showing her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America.