Josh O’Connor has had a busy 2025 so far. With The History of Sound debuting in select theaters last September, The Mastermind releasing on October 17, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery having a limited theatrical release on November 28 before its December 12 debut on Netflix, O’Connor has made a huge impact on film in 2025. Likely to be his most low-profile release of the year, Rebuilding sees O’Connor delivering one of his most restrained performances in this cowboy drama of grief and family.

Rebuilding follows Dusty, played by O’Connor, as a father who lost his ranch due to a wildfire. Leaving him without a home, Dusty winds up at a FEMA camp, where he and other survivors of the wildfire learn to connect with one another over their shared trauma. The wildfire also allows Dusty to reconnect with his ex-wife and daughter, played by Meghann Fahy and Lily LaTorre.

Rebuilding is an extremely simple movie at its core. It unashamedly focuses solely on the community affected by the wildfire and how they learn to connect with one another. Although there are universal themes of loss and family at play, the filmmakers focus mainly on the singular stories of these characters rather than anything more ambitious, allowing the viewer to fully digest them and become wrapped up in their experiences.

The ensemble, across the board, delivers poignant, naturalistic performances, led by the always-reliable Josh O’Connor. Playing a much quieter character compared to his previous roles, such as in Challengers and Emma, O’Connor delves deep into the psyche of a father who has lost nearly everything in his life. Whether it’s his relationship with his ex-wife or his physical belongings as his ranch, O’Connor portrays his loss in a heartbreaking and empathetic manner, making for a protagonist that is easy to latch on to.

The cast surrounding him is equally compelling. Lily LaTorre is excellent as Dusty’s daughter, Callie-Rose. Her character serves as a warm presence to those around her, helping the community cope with their tragedy simply by being herself. Having a child, especially one as carefree and lovable as Callie-Rose, serves as a coping device for the rest of the characters, as the community can use her childlike wonder to understand that everything will turn out okay despite their life-changing circumstances. Callie-Rose plays such an integral role in the film, and LaTorre portrays the character in all the right ways.

Amy Madigan saw a major spike in popularity after her standout performance in Zach Creggor’s Weapons earlier this year, and to see her in Rebuilding was a delight. Although her screentime is brief, Madigan makes a big impact as Bess, Callie-Rose’s grandmother. Similar to Callie-Rose, Bess is another character the community is meant to learn from, with the lessons she teaches about life paralleling the experiences of the wildfire-survivor community. Whether she is discussing the importance of community or teaching Callie-Rose a simple task, Bess’s presence has a major influence on the film, largely due to Madigan’s heartfelt, endearing performance.

Rebuilding is visually gorgeous. Taking inspiration from Nomadland‘s documentary approach to capturing houseless individuals, the film takes its melancholic atmosphere and somehow manages to craft some of the most beautiful landscape images of the year. Whether it’s capturing the colorful sunrises and sunsets or the aftermath of the wildfire, the film finds beauty in every frame, a parallel to the intellectual journeys the characters are on. Although the film has a slower pace, the cinematography is always doing something interesting.

Despite having an individual story about the survivors of a wildfire, the script plays out in an extremely familiar manner. Once the film establishes its melancholic tone and the journey the characters are set to go on, it is easy to see where the film will go. Earlier this year, the film East of Wall explored similar themes of grief and community through loss in a midwestern setting. This aspect of the film, along with its slow pace, can make the experience feel agonizing at times. While the characters are likable and the filmmaking is always competent, the structure lacks any standout qualities.

Rebuilding plays like a film you’ve likely seen before, but it has enough compelling filmmaking qualities to make it worth watching. With strong visuals and committed performances by the ensemble, this journey of restoration was worth taking, despite some shortcomings.

Rebuilding screened as a Feature Presentation at the Heartland International Film Festival. Bleecker Street will release the film in select theaters on November 7.

Rating: 6/10

Oscar Prospects:

None