The American Southwest

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The American Southwest

G

2025

1h 47m

Documentary

Nature

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10 Reviews

99%

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100+ Ratings

The American Southwest is a family-friendly wildlife movie that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, the film beautifully showcases the region's abundant wildlife, confronts the ecological impacts of dams and water overuse, and advocates for better management of the river. Made in association with Natives Outdoors, the movie incorporates an indigenous storyline and is told through the perspective of some of the Southwest's most charming characters... such as industrious beavers, bugling bull elk, and soaring condors. Between its legendary landscapes and fascinating wildlife, The American Southwest aims to endear millions of people to better cherish, love, and conserve this unique region.

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Shikhar Verma

High on Films

Dec 22

3/5

[Ben Masters] laces the narrative with history to help us figure out that human selfishness will only render these natural resources dry, but it will be us who will suffer the consequences of our actions, while nature keeps growing back.

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Lapacazo Magrira Sandoval

New York Amsterdam News

Dec 8

To watch this film is to be called — softly, insistently — to stand beside the river and choose what kind of ancestor we wish to be.

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Laura Hiros

Rincón de cine

Dec 1

3/5

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ben Masters writes a love letter to the landscapes and animals that have shaped him in "The American Southwest," but the postscript is an urgent warning ... [Full Review in Spanish]

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Stephanie Malone

Morbidly Beautiful

Dec 1

4.5/5

A visually astonishing journey down the Colorado River, The American Southwest blends awe, activism, and ecohorror as it confronts drought, dams, and a fragile future.

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Edward Douglas

The Weekend Warrior (Substack)

Nov 25

8.5/10

Just a gorgeous and glorious film that has a clear and inherent message to share amidst its stunning visuals, without making the viewer feel as if they’re going to school.

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Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

Nov 18

6/10

The American Southwest is a powerful call to action: to conserve, protect, and restore ecosystems. [Full review in Spanish]

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LT

Oct 11

Ben Masters' movies are always very well done, informative, educational, wonderfully scripted and beautifully filmed!

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Ben B.

Sep 11

Great visuals and wildlife moments — the condors, the beavers, rattlesnake — stick out. The photography alone makes it worth seeing on the biggest screen possible. But I found the pacing uneven: some shots lingered so long that the urgency of the ecological messages lost momentum other times things zipped by too quickly. That said, the story itself is ambitious and the strong editorial sense mostly succeeds in weaving together so many threads: culture, nature, science, conservation. A memorable documentary with a few rough edges.

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Mike K.

Sep 11

Blew my socks off! What a flick!!! Worth seeing on the silver screen.

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Dana Benjamin

Sep 11

This documentary finds the perfect balance between light, heartwarming moments and serious themes. It blends humor and beauty with a thoughtful look at water usage and the environmental impact of damming rivers. The American Southwest is both visually stunning and deeply thought-provoking.

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Pryce Bailey

Sep 10

Ben Masters continues to impress. After Deep in the Heart and The River and the Wall, this is another triumph in storytelling, combining ecological urgency with hope. The direction here pulls no punches: from showing endangered trout and jaguars to the industrious beavers building wetlands, you get the sense of both loss and recovery. I loved how the indigenous perspectives arent just an aside—they are central and respected throughout. Visually, the film is breathtaking — every canyon, river bend, condor in flight looks like a painting. Imperfect? A few of the musical cues felt a little derivative, but it's a minor gripe in an otherwise fantastic film.

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Lonna

Sep 10

Beautiful nature really enjoyed this! Must see amazing

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Ben Masters

Director

Quannah Chasinghorse

Narrator

Ben Masters

Writer

Katy Baldock

Producer

Len Necefer

Producer

Ryan Olinger

Producer

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Synopsis

The American Southwest is a family-friendly wildlife movie that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, the film beautifully showcases the region's abundant wildlife, confronts the ecological impacts of dams and water overuse, and advocates for better management of the river. Made in association with Natives Outdoors, the movie incorporates an indigenous storyline and is told through the perspective of some of the Southwest's most charming characters... such as industrious beavers, bugling bull elk, and soaring condors. Between its legendary landscapes and fascinating wildlife, The American Southwest aims to endear millions of people to better cherish, love, and conserve this unique region.

Director: Ben Masters
Producer: Katy Baldock, Len Necefer, Ryan Olinger
Screenwriter: Ben Masters
Distributor: Fin & Fur Films
Production Co: Giant Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Documentary, Nature
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 47m

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