What would you do if you found a large cache of gold? Would you try to find the owners, or would you keep it for yourself? What if someone slightly scary showed up looking for it? Would you tell them you found their gold, or would you keep it hidden and hope they go away? These are the types of questions The Isolate Thief asks. It’s a slow burn western, but one worth waiting out.

After her father passes away, Ada (Mackenzie Foy) is left to fend for herself in an isolated army outpost. It’s not something she plans on doing for much longer however, as she desires to return back to San Francisco. Before she can leave though, a visitor arrives in the middle of the night. Perry (Joe Pantoliano) is an old man looking for supplies, and after taking what he wants he leaves Ada to herself. The next day she spots him burying gold coins in the nearby woods, and once he leaves she takes them for herself. Others are on the trail of Perry and his gold however. These people include a shady colonel named John (Sean Bean), and soon Ada find herself hosting John and his companions as they hunt down the treasure she wants to keep for herself.

The Isolate Thief may end with a bang, but for the first two thirds of the film you will shake their head as you try to figure out what Ada’s motivation could possibly be. Not only does her end goal not seem to make much sense, but she’s a little too feisty and mouthy to possibly survive. This makes even less sense when you consider the fact that she’s all by herself, and no one is around to protect her. Also, historically speaking, shady men wouldn’t care about her supposed age either and wouldn’t treat her as a child. They’d do whatever they wanted, right from the very start.

Even though the plot is a little iffy, there’s something about The Isolate Thief that keeps you watching. Perhaps it’s only to figure out where the writer is taking you, but there is more to it than that. Viewers will find themselves drawn in as they want to know more about the characters. Why does Ada act the way that she does? Who is John? Why is he chasing Perry? You’ll also be asking where did Perry get the gold from in the first place? While not all of the questions are answered, you do get enough to keep you satisfied. And of course, like the best Westerns, there is a shoot out at the end that makes the slow movie worth spending your time on.

If you chose to sit through the slow build-up, you won’t be disappointed by the ending. The Isolate Thief may not be an award winning film, but it is one that will keep you entertained. It doesn’t run too long either, which is a bonus, and the film doesn’t necessarily end the way you think it will. It’s an ending worth waiting for.