No Man’s Land Review: A Film With A One-Sided Perspective

Films that tackle modern-day issues have a responsibility and, depending on the subject matter, require the centering of different perspectives. Directed by Conor Allyn, with a script by Jake Allyn and David Barraza, No Man’s Land fails in this respect regardless of its efforts to the contrary. No Man’s Land is largely uninterested in exploring the Mexican characters’ stories, which transforms the film into an unbalanced drama that lacks nuance. 

Set in the area of “no man’s land” along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, the film follows Jackson Greer (Jake Allyn) and his family of cattle ranchers. Jackson is one step away from leaving to play professional baseball with the Yankees in New York, a career move that gives his family much pride. Jackson, on the other hand, isn’t as excited about this prospect and would much rather remain a rancher, to the dismay of his mother (Andie MacDowell), father (Frank Grillo), and brother (Alex MacNicoll). The family is struggling, but wrongly assumes the Mexicans crossing through their land are drug runners. Everything changes when Jackson shoots and kills a young Mexican boy who was passing through with his father Gustavo (Jorge A. Jimenez) and a group of migrants. On the run, Jackson crosses the border into Mexico to hide. 

What’s most frustrating about No Man’s Land is how obviously one-sided the story is. While Gustavo is dealing with the death of his son, Jackson is allowed to roam Mexico with very little incident. Sure, he harbors some guilt, but he’s treated well enough for the most part, quickly finding work and meeting people who are willing to help him out despite how terrible his Spanish is (years living near the border should have taught him a few words at least). The narrative fashions itself a redemption story, one where Jackson goes on to literally see the other side to realize what he’s been taught about Mexicans is wrong (even though it’s too late). 

However, No Man’s Land is less about redemption and more of an examination into the privilege that being white affords Jackson. He doesn’t speak the language, he’s a stranger to a new land, and yet he’s not treated as a criminal the way his family treated migrants crossing into the U.S. Maybe that was the point of the film all along, but it surely doesn’t come off that way at all. What’s more, Jackson is given insight and depth while Gustavo is not, left by the wayside to mourn the son who never got the same treatment as his white counterpart. 

Any attempts made to strike a balance between the journeys of Jackson and Gustavo are completely squandered early on, with Jackson getting a lot more sympathy as the young man whose life was presumably ruined by an act of violence. Considering what Gustavo went through and his experiences leading groups across the U.S.-Mexico border, the perspectives should have been flipped and the storyline would have been a lot more interesting had the audience spent more time with Gustavo instead of Jackson. 

Meanwhile, George Lopez’s talent is wasted. He’s playing Ranger Ramirez, whose sole arc is to find and capture Jackson. The film misses a huge opportunity to explore and capture more of the nuances with regards to Ramirez being a Latinx ranger in this particular scenario. How does he feel about it? Why did he take this job? Yes, Ramirez’s body language suggests he’s tired of it all and his disapproving facial gestures indicate what he thinks of Jackson’s family, but Lopez’s character gets very little to do or say otherwise and it seems like a disturbing trend when considering the plot. Ultimately, No Man’s Land could have been polished a lot more, but its choices leave a lot to be desired.

No Man’s Land opens in select theaters, on demand, and digital platforms on January 22, 2021. The movie runs 114 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some strong violence and language. 

Let us know what you thought of the movie in the comments!

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1093 Articles Published)

See also  10 Best PC MOBA Games, Ranked By Metacritic

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

More From Mae Abdulbaki