Cowboys 2020

Joe, a transgender boy, Sasha Knight accompanies his father Steve Zahn on a journey through the Montana wilderness toward Canada. Joe’s mother Sally, Jillian Bell, wakes to find him gone and reports the disappearance to Detective Erickson, who requests a recent picture of Joe. Sally produces a photo that shows Joe with long hair and wearing feminine clothing, and Erickson refers to Joe as Sally’s daughter — a point Sally agrees with.

In a series of flashbacks, the film traces Joe’s childhood and the pull between his father’s cowboy stories and his mother’s insistence on traditional gender norms. Sally pushes Joe toward dresses, pink, and conventional roles, while Joe longs for a chance to be himself and to emulate the cowboys he adores. One night, Joe confides to Troy that he is unhappy with his gender and wants to live as a boy. When Troy shares this with Sally, she refuses to accept it and tells Joe to follow what she calls God’s path. The moment reverberates through the family: in a western clothing store, Troy lets Joe try on traditionally male cowboy attire. The scene is interrupted when Joe’s cousin and uncle arrive; the cousin loudly insults Joe, calling him a “dyke,” and Troy’s protective impulse erupts, pushing Joe’s uncle down a flight of stairs. The aftershocks land Troy in prison, and while he’s away, Sally and Joe remain at odds over Joe’s identity.

After Troy is released, Sally and Troy’s relationship fractures, and she ultimately forbids him from visiting Joe. In response, Joe cuts his hair and Sally slaps him, leaving Joe distraught. Yet Troy and Joe still yearn for a better life and hatch a plan to run away together in search of a place where Joe can be accepted for who he is.

In the present, Troy and Joe seek help from Robert, a rehabilitation counselor. Gary Farmer plays Robert Spottedbird, who is surprised by their arrival but allows them to stay the night after Troy’s truck breaks down. The next morning, Troy and Joe take Robert’s horse, and Detective Erickson tracks the runaway truck. Robert covers for them, claiming he never saw Joe with Troy. In the wilderness, Joe grows hungry and attempts to fish at night; the current sweeps him away, forcing Troy to dive in and try to save him. They make it back to shore, but Troy discovers he has lost his prescribed medications, triggering withdrawal.

As the border to Canada looms, the two become increasingly disoriented. Erickson finally tracks them down, and when she tries to reason with them, another officer shoots Troy. Some time later, Joe is living with a more accepting Sally, who lets him wear traditionally male clothing and uses his preferred pronouns. Troy is found in prison, receiving treatment for his drug addiction. Joe returns to school, and on the bus, classmates are eager to hear about Joe and his father’s journey, signaling a broader shift toward acceptance.