In Long Shadows, director William Shockley and actor Dermot Mulroney bring new life to the Western, crafting something less dusty and more soulful. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly modernizing American West, the film explores redemption, mercy, and the enduring power of family through the story of a wounded outlaw and a young man searching for purpose.
Shockley, known for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Showgirls, says he wanted to make “a beautiful Western, not a dirt Western.” From the ornate costumes to the lush cinematography by A.J. Raitano, the film’s visual language is deliberate, elegant, romantic, and deeply human. “I wanted it to be gorgeous and sumptuous,” Shockley explained. “A symphony of emotion, a visual feast that reflects the beauty beneath the brutality.”
That balance of grit and grace is embodied in Mulroney’s performance as Dallas Garrett, a former outlaw living with regret. Despite an on-set mishap involving a blind-eye contact lens that scratched his cornea, Mulroney powered through. “Did that it feel realer?” he laughed. “It fit the idea of Dallas seeing the world through a clouded vision, part of him in the light, part in shadow.”
Both men speak about Long Shadows with the ease of genuine collaborators. “We almost worked wordlessly,” Mulroney said. “William and I have been around long enough to know what we’re after. It was about trust and precision.” Shockley added, “Dermot gave me his trust, and I guarded it. I had to earn it. It was my first feature as a director, and he was right there helping bring that vision to life.”
What begins as a sweeping Western gradually reveals a more intimate story about grief, trauma, and the quiet courage of healing. “It lulls you into thinking it’s just a beautiful Western,” Mulroney said. “Then it digs deeper into what makes people tick and how they get over something terrible.”
At its heart, Long Shadows isn’t about gunfights or outlaws; it’s about compassion. “Good is better than evil. Right is better than wrong. Honor your family,” Shockley said. “And have empathy in your heart for those who need a helping hand.”
Long Shadows opens in theaters on November 7, and it’s best experienced on the big screen, where its sweeping vistas and emotional resonance can fully take hold.
Jessie Hobson