Violent western told with stark, gritty power, Terror on the Prairie pits Gina Carano’s frontier woman against Nick Searcy’s ferocious villain in a battle of wills and gunfire amidst a breathtaking Montana backdrop in which a clear blue sky is stained with smoke and blood.

Terror on the Prairie marks Carano’s first project since her unceremonious dumping by Disney from The Mandalorian series, and her turn as frontier woman Hattie McAllister is one that matches her skillset as a fighter with plenty of true grit, while also providing enough dramatic meat for Carano to sink her teeth into.

Carano plays Hattie McAllister, the wife of former Civil War soldier Jim (Donald Cerrone) and mother to three young children. When Jim travels to the nearest town for supplies, the formidable yet vulnerable Hattie must defend her family from savage killer and former confederate soldier Captain Miller (Nick Searcy) and his posse of killers who have come looking for Jim’s head.

Directed by Michael Polish (Force of Nature), the 107-minute Terror on the Prairie makes its presence known within the opening minutes, in which the peace and tranquillity of the Montana landscape is shattered by a savagely violent act when a man is hunted down and scalped. It’s very clear that Polish along with writer Josiah Nelson (Dirty Little Deeds) have no intention of making a western with any romantic overtones of the period or the genre of film.

There is a starkness and ferocity to Terror on the Prairie that is startling and invigorating. The sparse use of a music score, coupled with the natural lighting shots by cinematographer Steeven Petitteville (Operator) brings home the point that this is a film that rests on the laurels of its characters and their environment. The earth, the blood, the isolation, the violence…Terror on the Prairie is as “wild west” as they come.

Carano proves to be a fierce action heroine but not one who subscribes to the superhero mould. Where other heroines prove their worth through the same old circus clown flip and kick gimmickry, Carano’s character projects her power through a primal womanhood as protector and nurturer. It’s a challenging role that requires a lot from Carano, yet one she rises to.

Even better is Nick Searcy as the films arch villain, the long-time character actor inhabiting the intelligence, the emotional manipulation, the savage violence, and the wounded soul view of the world that Captain Miller wants to see reckoned for its sins. It’s a frightening and engrossing performance, yet one that has a surprising amount of humanity.

Terror on the Prairie is not for the squeamish at heart. It can be a very intense watch, and at times very violent. Yet it also makes a mark as a western without compromise in both its artistry and its storytelling. There is much to like about that.