Land might not feature any direct social commentary, but it’s hard not to watch a film about a woman choosing a life of isolation to cope with trauma and not feel some timely reminder of our COVID-era lifestyles. Starring Robin Wright in her directorial debut, Land says a lot with very little about persisting in the aftermath of tragedy, all against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. Nothing about this is really original, yet Wright showcases her talents both behind the camera as well as in front.

When we first meet Edee Mathis (Wright), she wants to get as far away from people as possible. Renting a cabin high up in the Pacific Northwest mountains, she goes the extra mile by tossing her cell phone in a trash can in response to a call from her sister Emma (Kim Dickens) and having no car or way to contact the outside world. The cause of this self-isolation isn’t explained until the end, though early conversations with a therapist, Emma, and heavenly-lit flashback memories imply that it was likely something devastating. The cabin offers a place to start over from this mysterious incident, if she’s capable of moving past it at all.

Naturally being a city girl in the woods, her early attempts at survival and living off the land get off to a horrible start. From a lack of experience hunting game to beans freezing to even a bear showing up, it’s clear that Edee is winging it. She’s stuck in a bind: uncertain on whether to survive but also not willing to seek out help. Instead, aid comes to her in the form of Miguel Borras (Demián Bichir), a hunter who finds Edee at her lowest point and, with the assistance of his nurse/friend Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), gets her back to health. Despite her refusal to disclose any personal information, Miguel sees a kindred spirit in Edee, and they reach an agreement. He’ll stick around to teach her how to hunt, trap, and plant if she’s truly serious about this self-isolation, in exchange for remaining tight-lipped about what’s happening back in civilization.

As a story, I was impressed by what the film showed over than what it said outright. Numerous scenes barely contain any dialogue, instead they feature long periods of silence as Edee struggles to live in the wilderness alone and make something sustainable out of her cabin home. These moments are bleak yet darkly comical at times, all contrasted against gorgeous landscapes that highlight the forests and snow as both bleak and captivating, a new obstacle to overcome alongside her personal demons. Though Miguel and Edee spend a lot of time bonding throughout the second half, this is Wright’s show for the majority of its running time.

Edee and Miguel’s relationship is kept at friendzone status, but that’s all she needs to begin this therapeutic path of recovery. It should be noted that this is the most we see of Edee with another person, as Dickens and Pledge have meager screen time by comparison, a choice which might put us further into Edee’s headspace but also feels like a waste of acting talent.

The film also implies that more than a few years have passed since the plot began, but that revelation feels vaguely defined and doesn’t really add anything of emotional value. What matters, in the end, is how the survival skills formed through Edee and Miguel’s alliance slowly rebuild her confidence and connection to the world, eventually literalized in a moment of shared tragedy that, without spoiling much, allows the story’s themes to come full circle.

That Land works despite its familiarity is largely thanks to Robin Wright. This extension of her post–House of Cards career resurgence doesn’t come close to matching the debuts of other recent actor-turned directors like Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, but it still plays to her acting strengths in playing protagonists who prove their fortitude in the face of daunting obstacles. Viewers might know little about Edee’s past, but through Wright’s performance, we’re still able to empathize with her pain and want to see her overcome the perils of nature and find any reason to start over. All it takes is friendship, the kind we all could use right now in uncertain times.