Moved and shocked are the words that best explain how I feel about director Andrea Arnold’s Cow, a film that looks closely at the daily lives of two cows.

My curiosity about a cow’s day-to-day and the fact that I’ve always considered them one of the cutest animals are my two reasons for watching. 

How far from easy and relatively short the dairy cow’s life is are the elements that moved me most, even more so because both realities happen to be exacerbated by humans.

The fact that there’s no explanation of what’s going on as you watch is part of what makes Arnold’s film particularly engaging. The camera captures what happens and leaves you to deal with how it makes you feel. 

I’m sure that the most empathetic are the ones likely to find Cow the most difficult to sit through. 

As empathetic as I generally am – a truth I know because I cry at many movies, among other reasons – Cow didn’t lead to my own tears. In some ways, I found Arnold’s film strangely calming, a quality I’m sure that the almost complete absence of dialogue and a musical score contributed to.

Besides the moment past the halfway point when I thought the film started to feel too long and repetitive, I say watch Cow if you’re curious, and let it surprise you. 

Some random thoughts that may enter your mind as you watch Cow include:

‘I never imagined that the sight of fully engorged udders could be quite so overwhelming.‘

‘Considering the obvious heft of the cow frame, it’s arguably surprising how quickly they can move.‘

‘This one is a film that lends itself perfectly to a screening followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers.‘

Please do share any other thoughts in the comments, whether or not you’ve already seen, or plan to see Cow.

Happy Film Loving,

G