‘Can you be a cowboy without cows?’ asks Dusty’s daughter Callie Rose in this tender and hopeful drama, which follows a Colorado rancher as he navigates an existential crisis in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire. Max Walker-Silverman directs busy boy Josh O’Connor, proving that this almost absurdly in-demand English actor can thrive in any cinematic context.

Rebuilding is all about appreciating the small stuff, about the importance of community, family, and the kindness of strangers. Following the fire, Dusty is temporarily housed in a trailer in a small FEMA camp with neighbours he does not know (including Kali Reis’s Mila), who have similarly lost everything. Despite all he’s endured, the sudden absence of purpose and routine frees Dusty up to spend time with his aforementioned offspring (played quite brilliantly by the young Lily LaTorre), something that’s welcomed by Dusty’s ex-wife Ruby (Meghann Fahy) and his distinctly unmonstrous mother-in-law, Bess (recent Oscar winner Amy Madigan).

This slight but hugely heart-warming film is powered by its gentle, perfectly pitched performances. O’Connor might seem an odd choice for a cowboy but brings characteristic soulfulness to Dusty’s struggle, Madigan is mesmerising in her few key scenes, and radiant former boxer Reis (who impressed in True Detective) is a fine choice as the widow who takes Dusty under her wing. It’s a film that could easily have got bogged down in sadness, but Rebuilding is more interested in the resilience of its land and its people, and in lighting a path through tough times.

Rebuilding is in cinemas from Friday 17 April; picture: Jesse Hope. 

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