First Cow_
"A simple western about the origin of the American Dream."
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
MUBI
25 countries
Rakuten TV
FREE
8 countries
Sundance Now Amazon Channel
1 country
Hollywood Suite
1 country
Tubi
FREE
1 country
C
CBC Gem
FREE
1 country
ALL REGIONS
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
First Cow earned $101K against a $2.0M budget.
Kelly Reichardt →
Year context
First Cow was released 6 years ago in 2020.
CAST (20)
John Magaro
Cookie
Orion Lee
King-Lu
Toby Jones
Chief Factor
Ewen Bremner
Lloyd
Scott Shepherd
Captain
Gary Farmer
Totillicum
Lily Gladstone
Chief Factor’s Wife
Alia Shawkat
Woman with Dog
Dylan Smith
Trapper Jack
RF
Ryan Findley
Trapper Dame
MR
Manuel Rodriguez
Trapper Bill
Patrick D. Green
Russian Trapper
JK
Jared Kasowski
Thomas
René Auberjonois
Man with Raven
Jean-Luc Boucherot
Sailor in Saloon
Jeb Berrier
Cribbage Player
John Keating
Heckler in Saloon
DM
Don MacEllis
Brilliant William
Todd A. Robinson
Fort Trapper
KM
Kevin-Michael Moore
Fort Trapper
CREW
BOX OFFICE
$2.0M
Budget
$101K
Revenue
-95%
ROI
FLOP
Verdict
STUDIOS (1)
filmscience
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
122 min (2h 2m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
7.1/10 (518 votes)
Popularity
5
Budget
$2,000,000
Box Office
$101,068
Profit
$-1,898,932
IMDB
Trailer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is First Cow about?
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
How long is First Cow?
First Cow has a runtime of 122 minutes (2h 2m).
Who directed First Cow?
First Cow was directed by Kelly Reichardt.
Who stars in First Cow?
The cast of First Cow includes John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd.
How much did First Cow make at the box office?
First Cow earned $101,068 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $2,000,000.
What is the rating of First Cow?
First Cow has a rating of 7.1 out of 10 based on 518 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
Western
KEYWORDS (7)
immigrant
based on novel or book
fur trapping
oregon, usa
19th century
biscuits
cow