Written and directed by Ned Crowley, Killing Faith takes place in the plague-ridden West in 1849. Citizens are skeptical of anything unfamiliar, conscious enough to avoid sickness while still holding tight to slavery. However, a former slave and her white daughter keep prying eyes at bay once they believe the child to be cursed. The occasion calls for a test of faith across the Old West as confidence and conviction take center stage in this suspense-laden thriller.
DeWanda Wise plays Sarah, an anguished mother who is deathly protective of her daughter (Emily Katherine Ford) and her adopted son Edward (Jack Alcott), who stays with her to watch over the farm. With a sprinkle of revisionist history, Sarah was not only freed, but also deeded the land by her former slave master. Knowing eyes are watching her parcel, she keeps a low profile and tends to her property. Her schedule was proceeding as normal until her daughter took her gloves off and touched a horse. When the steed immediately died, she restarted her search for Dr. Ross, a hard-to-find preacher who doubles as a physician, as she believes he can heal her daughter.
With Ross halfway across the desert, Sarah needs a guide to help her meet her goal. In comes Dr. Bender (Guy Pearce), a physician who’s rarely of sober mind and body, who agrees to help her find the good doctor but has zero faith in her goal.
The only thing that doesn’t work here is the writing. There are holes in the plot; big, massive, unavoidable holes. There’s a lot that isn’t explained, and that affects how the story is received and digested. The biggest issue for me is the lack of a backstory on the girl’s powers. The “how” and the “why” are crucial in this type of film, and they’re totally absent.
Aside from that major blip, the film is actually pretty good. The cast is strong enough with names like Wise and Pearce, anchored with the talents of Pullman, Alcott, and Joanna Cassidy. Another talent, Jamie Neumann, was a nuisance in the film and was the most fun character to hate. The dialogue was interesting and provided spaces for comedy in areas you wouldn’t normally expect. Should Guy Pearce be able to hammer his hand out of a handcuff? Well, that’s debatable. But what’s not, is the fact that this film is premiering during a time of endless reboots and absent creativity. So at the very least, Crowley has my respect for swinging for the fences here.
I actually love DeWanda Wise in this more than her prior film Love, Brooklyn. Her onscreen chemistry with Jack Alcott was warm and enjoyable. Bill Pullman makes his appearance towards the end of the film, almost as if he was tasked with “bringing it home” to the finish. Did Guy Pearce need a similar addiction to his counterpart in The Brutalist? Probably not. But he’s much better here than, say, Brimstone.
Killing Faith gets a 7.5 out of 10. There’s Old West-style violence without a sappy love story, and it’s loaded with suspense. The acting is what I’d expect from names like Pullman and Pearce. DeWanda Wise has proven she has the chops to lead, and I’d like to see more of her. Emily Katherine Ford doesn’t speak a word, but is a constant terror. The way she was used worked perfectly. You won’t know much about her by the film’s end, but at least you’ll have a good time. It’s not stellar, but it isn’t terrible. Definitely worth streaming when available.
Killing Faith is in theatres now.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Shout! Studios
Genre: Western/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hr, 48 minutes
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: October 3, 2025