The American Southwest Movie Review

This was the most moving, heartbreaking, devastating, and compelling documentary I’ve ever seen… with an incredible opening.

Here, Quannah Chasinghorse beautifully narrates the story of what the southwest region of the United States has been through and is now going through. The movie focuses mainly on the Colorado River and how important it is to sustaining life in this region.

Snow melt from the Rockies helps the river grow each time it merges with the river to nourish the valley below. This river has cut through many glens and canyons, including the GRANDEST of them all. “Like the blood flowing through our veins, the Colorado pumps life into the harsh Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.” It has a 1,500-mile trek that connects the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of CA and nurtures all wildlife. It has done this for millions of years.

Stunning photography captures the movement of plant and animal life as she narrates, showing water in all forms moving to its final destination, as well. Quannah explains that “Water is the divine force in this unforgiving landscape.”

We learn some about the Bull Elk. They’re beautiful animals, and their fate is uncertain; they’re only still with us thanks to environmentalists beginning a recovery effort to protect them. It was successful. Covering the elk is informative in nature, as are the other animals mentioned in the documentary. The section about the invaluable beaver is charming, revealing and quite amusing.

We’re also treated to lessons on the Cutthroat trout and the Salmon Fly, something you never knew you needed to know until watching this. Also mentioned is how the rattlesnake handles the hottest land on Earth… the Mohave Desert. This land gets mere inches of rain a year, but a Mojave rattlesnake is caught on video giving birth to some with her snakelits. I was intrigued and you will be, too. Whether you like snakes or not, you’ll be entranced by these shown here. And be amazed that they survive in temperatures of 134 degrees.

This incredible documentary also examines the Saguaro cactus extensively, which is needed for the amount of water it holds. If you don’t know much about them, you ought to know what they’re capable of. They offer so much to us, and other living creatures. If we were dying of thirst, cut one open. But they’re known for much more than just the 1,000 gallons of water their arms can hold. They also help our pollinators, which we all need to live.

The filmmakers take a deep dive into Lake Powell and other dams, examining why they’re used too often. Powell is beautiful, but what is buried beneath it is missed by many. Dams built in the southwest have been destructive, a fact we should all be aware of. This film should be seen by everyone, oblivious of what we’re doing to our water supply, so that we can turn things around for all life on Earth, our own included. You might wince a bit when you realize we’re at the heart of quite possibly our own distinction.

The Colorado River should be at the top of our list of the most significant projects for us to care for. In 2026, the rules for managing the Colorado River will be renegotiated. Will it be for the better? This is a significant opportunity to improve the health of the river, something we absolutely must realize before it’s too late.

Get the links at the end of the film to do your best to help.

On behalf of the filmmakers, Quannah sends a message of hope that you’ll enjoy the film and that it’ll leave you feeling inspired to protect wildlife in the American Southwest. You will walk away with this inspiration, trust me on that… and with the feeling of needing to do something, now. Yes. It’s that well done.