A Prayer for the Dying

This sparse and spiky western set in 1870s Wisconsin is the story of a sheriff’s struggle between duty and family in the face of a diphtheria outbreak.

When a drifter is found dead on the outskirts of town, it becomes apparent a deadly disease is doing the rounds. With the town’s doctor and sheriff divided on what to do, the town’s future is in doubt. The film has emotional resonance in a postpandemic age, and a daring, against-type performance from the irrepressible John C Reilly as the town’s exhausted doctor.