Rebuilding Review – A Quietly Compelling Cinematic Masterpiece, A Must See

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Category: Haute This Issue

Published on Sunday, 19 October 2025 12:52

Written by Janet Walker

Rebuilding, from Bleecker Street, presents a film of realities as survivors of a devastating wildfire attempt to navigate the new normal of FEMA living, while investing hope into what appears to be a hopeless future.

The film begins simply, and yet as we see the flickers of embers cross the screen, we understand we are seeing fire, and then suddenly, without warning, the sound intensifies and we know, the fire that is not blazing on the screen, is all consuming and devastating.  Then we move into the charred remains of ash as a man stands around the cement foundation, the remnants of all that remains.

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Before we meet any of the film's characters, we understand whoever was caught up in the blaze has lost everything. We understand our lone figure surveying the loss was Dusty, played by Josh O'Conner. Finally, understanding that to gain traction in this moment, he will need to seek outside aid. Before the fire, he was a rancher, so first he sells his cattle at auction. Then, the ultimate humiliation for some, taking a handout from the government.

Dusty is a reserved guy, who connects more with the land and his small circle of friends and family, his ex-wife Ruby, played by Meghann Fahy, his daughter Callie-Rose, played by Lily LaTorre, and his former mother-in-law Bess, played by Amy Madigan.

And soon we are at a FEMA village, a circle of trailers, on a government camp site. He would sit alone, in his misery, allowing his thoughts to dictate if it were up to him. However, fortunately, not everyone in the FEMA village is so reserved. Once he settles in, his neighbor Mila, played by Kali Reis, does the neighborly thing, and while she is bringing a plate to the recluse, she invites him to join the group. While not at a wake, the fire for everyone is a death. Soon, this group of displaced victims have formed a bond, each joined with a story of loss.

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Once be begins to participate in the group dinners, we see him change. He also, at this same time, is becoming  more involved in his daughter's life. As his ex-wife says, you don't deserve it but to her you're reborn, and you get a second chance. And now, we see this side of him, and as a single father, navigating the challenges of parenthood while balancing the loss of his ranch, his livelihood, and his pride. Fortunately, children are resilient, and Callie-Rose soon explains everything she needs to make the FEMA village work for her, a trip to the local library for wi-fi, friends at the village, a second family.

A school project brings everyone to Ruby's house, and soon we meet Bess, played by Amy Madigan, who is elderly and ailing, and we see has a knack for growing cannabis.

Just as a flicker of hope begins to appear, everyone in the FEMA village is told of their impending eviction. Two weeks and good luck.

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This ushers in the heartbreaking and heartwarming final act.

An unfolding narrative of the human experience, Rebuilding is a gentle and timely story of the life, of resilience when all seems lost. Through the generations portrayed, we see the spirit that is uniquely inherent to those who have lived, and to those who have yet to experience the abrasiveness that time can harshly serve.

The ensemble delivers subdued heartwarming performances and are able to draw the viewer into this season of change effortlessly. Set in the American west, the captivating cinematography is stunning with sweeping vistas, and poignant moments of contemplation, inspiration, and challenge.

Engaging and compelling, Rebuilding offers an alternative view of a world so distant from many, a step back from the appendage of the connected world, into an unplugged, limited internet, world where conversations do not involve texting and children play outdoors, in a retro style return to a simpler time and place.

A cinematic masterpiece, Rebuilding is an unadorned, wholesome entertaining film. It opens in New York November 14, and in Los Angeles November 21.

Rebuilding will also be screened at the AFI Festival on Wednesday, October 22 at 8:45 PM, followed by a conversation with director Max Walker-Silverman. See it.  

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Country: US.

Language: English.

Runtime: 95 minutes.

Release Date:

Director: Max Walker-Silverman.

Producer: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey, Paul Mezey.

Executive Producer: Douglas Choi, Philipp Engelhorn, Sakurako Fisher, Andrew Goldman, Alex C. Lo, Jan McAdoo, Josh Peters, Robina Riccitiello, Bill Way, Elliot Whitton.

Writer: Max Walker-Silverman.

Cast: Josh O'Connor, Lily Latorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, Amy Madigan, Eli Malouff, Zeilyanna Martinez, Taresa Ott Beiriger, Dwight Mondragon, David Bright, Nancy Morlan, Kathy Rose, Jeanine London, Binky Griptite, Christopher Young, Sam Engbring, Jefferson Mays, Jules Reid.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.