Savage State 2020

Set during the American Civil War in December 1863, the film follows a wealthy French family and their Black servant, Layla, as they flee Missouri toward New York. They're escorted by Victor, a taciturn mercenary, while stalked by Bettie—a mysterious, hooded outlaw—and her silent masked gang  This French outsider view reshapes the Western into a slow-burning, feminist-tinged odyssey 

• Feminist resonance: The daughters and Layla evolve from passive figures to assertive survivors. Layla’s refusal to serve dinner marks a powerful shift, symbolizing emerging empowerment .

• Atmospheric ambition: The film balances Western tropes with gothic-romantic stylings—offerings of voodoo rituals, masked bandits, horse-drawn escapes on cliff edges—creating haunting ambiguity amid genre conventions.

• Pacing issues: The languid, elegiac pace often drags, leaving narrative momentum thin and characters underwritten beyond Esther’s 

• Uneven character depth: While Bettie is intriguingly enigmatic, others lack development, feeling like archetypes more than layered individuals

• Surrealism over substance: Dreamlike touches—masked cultists, voodoo elements—add mystique but sometimes feel disconnected or underexplored, making this feel more like cinematic experimentation than cohesive drama 

• Critics describe it as a visually enchanting but flawed genre hybrid—beautiful yet inconsistent, “plodding” at times .

• Reddit fans praise its unique tone:

  “It’s very… French. Sparse soundscape… a weird ass fever dream, but worth a watch.” 
  Praised for offering a Civil War narrative through an outsider lens—haunting, surreal, and unconventional.

Savage State is a stylish, meditative French Western that elevates mood and visual beauty above traditional storytelling. It shines when portraying psychological and feminist tension, but its slow pace and elliptical narrative may alienate viewers seeking action or plot clarity.

Rating: 6.5 / 10

• Fans of arthouse Westerns and mood-driven cinema.

• Viewers intrigued by feminist reinterpretations of genre tropes.

• Those who appreciate visual storytelling and surreal atmospheres.