After a tragedy, a young woman (Jasmin Jandreau) is left alone in the remote woods during the mid-1800's California Gold Rush. Can she survive and make it to civilization?

"The Trail" (2013),aka "Let God," is obviously a low-budget Western in light of the miniscule cast and limited setting & events, plus a couple of obvious anachronisms, like zippers on a pair of boots, which weren't even invented until 1893, not to mention goofs (a visible crew member and boom mic, both of which you have to actually look for to notice). Despite these shortcomings, this is a professionally made film with quality locations, an effective score and a decent lead actress. It successfully brings you to that time & place and lets you see what it was like for many settlers.

If you like settler/survival-oriented Westerns like "Meek's Cutoff" (2010),"Gold" (2013),"The Homesman" (2014) and "The Revenant" (2015),you'll likely appreciate "The Trail," although it's not as polished or eventful as the latter, which was a blockbuster. Unlike all of those modern Westerns, however, it shoots for something deeper, something spiritually profound, although it's utterly subdued until the very end. It's this particular aspect that makes the movie for me.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in the Lake Tahoe area, California, with some stuff done in Southern Cal (Temecula & Landers).

GRADE: B-

Sad that the talented actress in the lead role was wasted in this slow moving, pathetic crock. The only bright spots were laughing at the silly set decorations which were often inappropriate and unauthentic to the time period. No Set Decorator is listed. No Art Director is listed. Only a Production Designer who should hang her head in shame, leave the movie industry and open a junk shop in Omaha.

And through it all Jasmin Jandreau shines with an authentic simplicity that shows real acting potential. Her understated performance is exactly what's needed in a period film, and seldom found in one. I hope we see more work from this talented new comer in the future.

The idea for the plot of this movie sounded interesting. The film was not.

This is just horrible how would someone from this era have no survival skills what so ever? She has the cleanest dress and perfect hair I have ever seen for someone wondering around in the woods. And what is up with those lame shoes she had on?

Laura Ingalls from Little house would have better skills than this. She is the worse fire starter I have ever seen. If you grew up then and lived then you had much better skills than this.