PROMISED LAND

PROMISED LAND is well made, emotionally effective, and positive toward traditional American farming communities. Its story about land, independence, economic decline, and corporate power can make you think seriously about hydraulic fracturing.

But the film uses those strengths to push an environmentalist political agenda. The review finds that agenda manipulative, dangerous, and not grounded in an educated discussion of the issue. The abundant, often extremely offensive foul language adds another serious problem.

The result is a polished film whose message and content outweigh its merits. For your family or your own viewing, the practical answer is simple: SKIP IT.

Steve Butler sells land rights for GlobalTech, a corporation seeking natural gas through hydraulic drilling. He travels to a struggling Pennsylvania town expecting residents to accept the company’s offer.

A local high school teacher warns that drilling could destroy the community’s farming lifestyle. Then an environmentalist arrives to campaign against GlobalTech. As Steve grows attached to the town and its people, he begins questioning whether hydraulic fracturing is good for them.

Three stars means this is a solid, expertly made drama with genuine strengths. The film is well directed, and the acting comes across as genuine. Its story provokes emotion and makes viewers think twice about hydraulic fracturing.

Those strengths also make the movie’s persuasion more effective. The review finds that it uses fear and emotion rather than facts, turning polished filmmaking into a vehicle for what it calls a manipulative and dangerous environmental message. The result is well crafted, but its artistic effectiveness does not redeem its agenda or content.

PROMISED LAND presents owning and living off your own land as deeply American. It portrays traditional small-town farming communities positively, emphasizing independence and the beauty of a life built around the land. A lady sings a gospel song, and a woman wears a cross necklace.

The film then places those traditional values behind an environmentalist argument against hydraulic fracturing. It portrays capitalist corporations as evil and rejects what the review describes as a factual, educated discussion of hydraulic fracturing’s benefits to communities in America and around the world. The film’s worldview is therefore mixed: it affirms land, community, and independence, while using those values to advance a politically correct environmentalist agenda.

The movie’s central concerns about land and responsibility invite a biblical question about ownership and stewardship: “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1).

PROMISED LAND has genuine craft, emotional power, and an appealing portrait of traditional farming communities. But its manipulative environmentalist agenda and excessive content make it a poor choice for your time or conscience. Our answer is SKIP IT. For better options, see.