First Cow
“A simple western about the origin of the American Dream.”
Synopsis
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official International Trailer #2Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-05-06
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
John Magaro
Cookie
Orion Lee
King-Lu
Toby Jones
Chief Factor
Ewen Bremner
Lloyd
Scott Shepherd
Captain
Gary Farmer
Totillicum
Lily Gladstone
Chief Factor’s Wife
Alia Shawkat
Woman with Dog
Dylan Smith
Trapper Jack
Ryan Findley
Trapper Dame
Manuel Rodriguez
Trapper Bill
Patrick D. Green
Russian Trapper
Jared Kasowski
Thomas
René Auberjonois
Man with Raven
Jean-Luc Boucherot
Sailor in Saloon
Jeb Berrier
Cribbage Player
John Keating
Heckler in Saloon
Don MacEllis
Brilliant William
Release History & Theatrical Window
Streaming Window: 126 DaysMelbourne International Film Festival (Virtual)
Festival / Special Debut
March 6, 2020
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 10, 2020
VOD & Digital Platforms
September 8, 2020
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$101K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.05x
-$1.9M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kelly Reichardt
- Screenplay & Story
- Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond
- Original Score
- William Tyler
- Original Title
- First Cow
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 2m
- Production Budget
- $2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $101K
- Production Studios
- filmscience
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond
William Tyler
Christopher Blauvelt
Kelly Reichardt
Scott Rudin, Anish Savjani, Neil Kopp, Eli Bush, Vincent Savino
Department Leadership Roster
Kent W. Luttrell
Stunt Coordinator
Chris Connolly
Visual Effects Supervisor
Kelly Reichardt
Screenplay
Kelly Reichardt
Director
Christopher Blauvelt
Director of Photography
Anish Savjani
Producer
Neil Kopp
Producer
Vincent Savino
Producer
April Napier
Costume Design
Anthony Gasparro
Production Design
Kelly Reichardt
Editor
William Tyler
Original Music Composer
Jonathan Raymond
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
Parental Guidance Suggested.
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for First Cow.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring First Cow.
Every MUBI Film
A collection of classic and contemporary films curated by the MUBI platform. MUBI 流媒体平台精选的经典与当代艺术电影合集。 *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#144] Celebration (2007) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:01 UTC+8)*
Every A24 Film
Every A24 Movie Ever A24 EST. 2012 NEW YORK, NY A24厂牌全收录： 收录由知名独立娱乐公司 A24（成立于2012年）制作或发行的所有电影。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:36:48 UTC+8)*
My Movies
Master List In Progress
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vison of mind
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/vison-of-mind
Food
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
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Frequently Asked Questions About First Cow
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is First Cow about?
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
Who directed First Cow?
First Cow was directed by Kelly Reichardt.
Who stars in First Cow?
The principal cast of First Cow includes John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd.
When was First Cow released and how long is it?
First Cow was released in 2020 with a total runtime of 2h 2m.
What was the box office and production budget of First Cow?
First Cow had a reported production budget of $2M and grossed $101K at the worldwide box office (0.05 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for First Cow?
The original motion picture soundtrack for First Cow was composed by William Tyler.
Is First Cow based on a book or true story?
First Cow is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Jonathan Raymond".
What is the age rating and content advisory for First Cow?
First Cow holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); CA: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested.); FR: TP; GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).