Cow – An Intriguing Look Into The Life of Cows (Early Review)

These types of films aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but that being said, there have been a lot of recent documentaries that have found success documenting the lives of farm animals. It’s just great to see people loving them because it’s a way of learning about an industry that the majority of us have taken for granted while opening the eyes of audiences. Animal documentaries are not a new subgenre by any means. Though many are surely more or less aware of David Attenborough’s series of animal documentaries, Cow is something special.

Cow is a first-time documentary by director Andrea Arnold and takes an intimate look into the lives of two particular cows. The film marks a solid first time effort for Arnold as it gets very up close and personal with these two cows as they moo, give birth, and sometimes offer a death stare directly into the camera. Most audiences are likely to find themselves getting invested on an emotional level over the course of their everyday lives.

When it comes to Cow, this isn’t a usual documentary with little to no cutting thus the cinematography that resulted was simply beautiful. While the shaking camera does get annoying at times, it pays off with some close up shots that are truly jaw-dropping and will leave audiences speechless. Where the film excels is in its little moments as it feels like the cows are always looking at audiences as they bump into the camera like troublemakers. Meanwhile, it hurts to see what they go through when they are separated from their kids and they get put through tough work. It’s tragic to think how they don’t even understand the concept of death and merely just do what they are told. That feeling of guilt that the film pulls off so well is gut-wrenching but at the same time inspiring. Feeling so bad about the lives of these animals, specifically cows, one can’t help but want to go out and do something about it whether it’s donating to a charity or spreading awareness.

With Cow, Arnold delivers a powerful statement without every uttering a single word, rather favoring the sound of mooing and farmers working. All of this makes for a silent experience that will have audiences still hearing moos long after the credits roll. However, the film certainly does not pull punches when it comes to its depiction of farm animal life. Now it shouldn’t come as a surprise what happens next, however, once it does, it definitely does not shy away. Though audiences may more or less be ready for what comes, it was still not the easiest to watch at times. Nonetheless, it is impactful and will make audiences think and/or second guess what they though they knew just like the best documentaries do, in this case farm animals. 

At the end of the day, Cow is a brilliant documentary that pulls audiences in through memorable characters to deliver its impactful message. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

*still courtesy of IFC Films*

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