I Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow

Is Magic Valley A Quiet Eco-Gothic?

Eco-dramas are disturbingly genuine. Gus Van Sant’s take on fracking in Promised Land silently crept into theaters without much of a boom. Or even a little boom. The film came and went and now is mostly forgotten. Why do eco-dramas fade so easily into the background when their subject matter is so dire? For an industry that champions good raw drama, eco-dramas have yet to gain the traction they deserve. It demonstrates the Hollywood opinion that urgency is only urgent if it’s shiny and dangerous. Magic Valley isn’t just an eco-drama; it’s an eco-gothic. The film paints a dark portrait of a small community ruined by encroaching companies and their green footprint. The nature they know is dying. Where do you go when big business kills your home?