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First Cow (2020): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

First Cow (2020) movie poster

First Cow is a 2020 drama directed by Kelly Reichardt, starring John Magaro as Cookie, Orion Lee and Patrick D. Green. It runs 2 hours 2 minutes and earned $1.4 million worldwide on a $2 million budget. It earned 5 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 2021. Critics gave it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 90 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

IMDb rating
7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes
96%
worldwide gross
$1.4M
award nominations
5
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First Cow (2020) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 2m (122 min)
Director
Kelly Reichardt
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
Studio
A24
Budget
$2M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is First Cow About?

The premise of First Cow without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In the Oregon Territory of the 1820s, a gentle cook and a resourceful Chinese immigrant strike up an unexpected friendship while facing the challenges of the frontier. They begin a clandestine and increasingly complicated scheme, using the prized cow belonging to a wealthy landowner to bake and sell delicious pastries, hoping to achieve prosperity and a better life for themselves. Their actions, however, risk exposing their secret and jeopardizing their fragile alliance.

First Cow Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • cow
  • friendship
  • oregon territory
  • cook
  • river
  • milking a cow
  • friendship between men
  • chinese immigrant
  • fur trapper
  • shack
  • boat
  • skeleton
+38 more
  • uncovering a buried skeleton
  • forest
  • male nudity
  • milk
  • theft
  • based on novel
  • animal in title
  • native american
  • settlement
  • outpost
  • bag of money
  • riverboat
  • dog
  • digging with hands
  • foraging
  • mushroom
  • food
  • buried skeleton
  • russian
  • jew's harp
  • american indian
  • fiddler
  • card playing
  • baby
  • baby in a basket
  • dead mother
  • talking to a cow
  • stealing milk
  • biscuit
  • marketplace
  • oily cake
  • secret ingredient
  • business
  • cottonwood tree
  • baker
  • cat
  • captain
  • cake
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Cast & crew

First Cow Cast & Characters

John Magaro leads the cast as Cookie, with Orion Lee as King-Lu and Patrick D. Green as Russian Trapper. Directed by Kelly Reichardt; 17 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in First Cow

· 13 more
From the director

More from Kelly Reichardt

More films directed by Kelly Reichardt, best-rated first: Meek's Cutoff, Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy and River of Grass.

Full filmography
Ratings

First Cow Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave First Cow 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 90 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10. Our Echo Score gives it 78/100, strongest in art & craft (88) and weakest in story & flow (65).

78 /100

First Cow Echo Score Breakdown

Overall, First Cow excels in visual and emotional subtlety while its deliberate pacing may challenge some viewers. Critics consistently praise the film’s meticulous craftsmanship and the leads’ nuanced rapport, and users often note its immersive rural imagery and authentic production design. However, the unhurried narrative and sparse dialogue contribute to a measured flow that can feel slow for those expecting conventional momentum. The net impression is a quietly affecting drama with distinct artistic appeal but a restrained tempo that may divide audiences.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 88

    In terms of art and craft, First Cow is distinguished by its precise framing and authentic production design. Reviews highlight the understated color palette, balanced lighting, and elegant editing rhythms that evoke a lived-in frontier. While a few notes of underexposed scenes appear, the consensus affirms a polished visual aesthetic that anchors the film’s mood.

  • Character & Emotion 80

    When it comes to character and emotion, the film benefits from nuanced performances and subtle chemistry. Critics praise the underplayed rapport between the leads and the emotional sincerity that emerges in quiet moments. Some viewers note limited dialogue and occasional uneven character focus, but overall the cast’s authenticity conveys a resonant human connection throughout the narrative.

  • Story & Flow 65

    In terms of story and flow, the narrative offers a contemplative study of friendship and survival within a historical context. Reviews applaud the thematic depth and poetic vision, though several note that the pacing feels unhurried and some plot threads lack tension. The overall impression is of a thoughtfully constructed but deliberately measured storyline.

  • Sensory Experience 75

    When considering sensory experience, the film’s visual style garners consistent acclaim for its immersive rural imagery and refined sound design. Multiple reviews emphasize the evocative score and sparing musical cues that complement the understated visuals. A smaller set of comments note occasional underlighting and low dialogue volume, but the prevailing sentiment highlights a cohesive audiovisual presentation.

  • Rewatch Factor 70

    Regarding rewatch factor, the film’s contemplative tone and nuanced layers invite multiple viewings for users who appreciate subtle storytelling. Some feedback notes that the measured pace may limit immediate replay value, yet others report deeper appreciation upon subsequent viewings. Overall, the movie offers satisfying lasting appeal for viewers attuned to its reflective rhythm.

Plot

First Cow Plot Summary

What happens in First Cow from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the present day, a woman strolling by the riverside with her dog stumbles upon a haunting discovery: two skeletons lying intertwined in a shallow grave.

Flashback to 1820, where we meet Otis “Cookie” Figowitz, a reserved chef navigating the rugged Oregon Country alongside a boisterous group of fur trappers who incessantly taunt him for not providing enough sustenance. One fateful night, he encounters King-Lu, a Chinese immigrant fleeing after taking the life of a Russian man. After allowing Lu to seek shelter in his tent, Cookie witnesses him make a daring escape across the river the following day.

Full summary

The whole story of First Cow, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

First Cow Box Office & Budget

First Cow grossed $1.4 million worldwide on a $2 million budget, 69% of what it cost. $101,068 came from the US and Canada and $1.3 million (93%) from the rest of the world.

2020 box office

Worldwide gross

$1.4M

69% of its budget back

US & Canada
$101.1K
International
$1.3M
Budget
$2M
US & Canada 7% Rest of the world 93%
Awards

First Cow Awards & Nominations

First Cow earned 5 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 2021. The 5 nominations come from 2 ceremonies, the most at the Spirit Awards 2021.

5 nominations2 ceremonies

Videos

First Cow Trailers & Videos

7 videos: 3 trailers, 1 teaser and 3 clips.

All 7 videos
Official Trailer
  • Trailer Official International Trailer
  • Trailer Official International Trailer #2
  • Teaser
  • Clip Official Clip
Quiz

How Well Do You Know First Cow?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who stumbles upon the skeletal remains in the present?

Details

First Cow Also Known As

17 alternative titles, including “퍼스트 카우” and “Первая корова”.

Also known as
  • 퍼스트 카우
  • Первая корова
  • 第一头牛
  • İlk İnek
  • First Cow – A Primeira Vaca da América
  • A Primeira Vaca da América, პირველი ძროხა
  • 深夜裡的美味祕方
  • Chú Bò Đầu Tiên
  • Η Πρώτη Αγελάδα
  • Pierwsza krowa
  • Перша корова
  • První kráva
+5 more
  • פרה ראשונה
  • ファースト・カウ
  • Prva krava
  • La primera vaca
  • Pirmā govs

Seen First Cow?

FAQ

First Cow FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of First Cow, each answered in a sentence.

How long is First Cow?

First Cow runs 2 hours 2 minutes (122 minutes).

When was First Cow released?

First Cow was released on March 6, 2020.

Who directed First Cow?

First Cow was directed by Kelly Reichardt.

More films by Kelly Reichardt

Who is in the cast of First Cow?

First Cow stars John Magaro as Cookie, Orion Lee as King-Lu and Patrick D. Green as Russian Trapper, among 17 credited actors.

How much did First Cow make at the box office?

First Cow grossed $1.4 million worldwide ($101,068 domestic, $1.3 million international) on a budget of $2 million.

How is First Cow rated?

First Cow has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 90 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.

Was First Cow nominated for any awards?

First Cow received 5 nominations across 2 ceremonies.

Does First Cow have a post-credit scene?

No. First Cow has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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