Potter’s Ground (2021)

Isaiah Stratton is Sully, a man living a quiet life on his Texas farm with his wife and daughter when his past comes calling.

Six years earlier, he was a Confederate marauder, Capt. Sullivan Potter, forced to take on a strange assignment.

Rumor has it that while the Miyan and Aztec empires were squelched by the Spanish, an even richer tribe settled far to the north, building cities of gold and hiding a fortune underground.

The only way to find that treasure is a map on an amulet that’s been broken into three pieces.

Confederate Col. Alford wants Sully and his companions — Lex (Scott Crain) and Ninekiller (Loren Anthony) — to recover the pieces to the amulet. And he gives them seven days to accomplish the mission.

They’ll pick up two more companions for the journey, a fiesty Mexican woman named Dolorosa, whose husband had a piece of the amulet until Sully and his friends caught up with him; and Cook, a former Rebel officer who was the lone survivor of a previous mission to La Mahara to fetch a piece of the amulet.

But there will be unexpected obstacles too: A man named Grady whose renegades massacre settlers and make it look like Indians were responsible and another Confederate officer (James J. Fuertes as Maj. Keller), who wants the amulet for himself.

Then there are the creatures of the night that roam the sacred area around La Mahara where Sully’s band is heading.

Isaiah Stratton as Sully, coming across a grisly scene and deciding to do something about it in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Scott Crain as Lex, spotting the scene of a grisly massacre in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Review:

Genre fans used to queuing up a new Western only to find sets that scream low budget and cast members who seem like they’ve never been in front of a camera before are in for a pleasant surprise when they watch this independent film.

Potter’s Ground features a fine cast — Isaiah Stratton and Scott Crain are especially impressive — and looks nothing like a film partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

An intelligent script featuring plenty of witty dialogue helps too. And don’t fret, Western fans: This is more Western than monster movie.

The ending special effect might strike you as a bit silly. My guess is, you won’t care much. Because it was a fun, gritty ride getting there.

Katharine Franco as Dolorosa, a woman who knows the was to La Mahara in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Todd Bush as Cook, the former Rebel officer who leaves the graveyard as Sully’s request in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Directed by:
Michael Butts

Cast:
Isaiah Stratton … Sully (Capt. Sullivan Potter)
Scott Crain … Lex (Sgt. Lexington)
Todd Bush … Cook
Katharine Franco … Dolorosa
James J. Fuertes … Maj. Keller
Loren Anthony … Ninekiller
David Ditmore … Col. Alford
Leslie Mills … Kate
Lexi Janicek … Goldie
Jordan Stephens … Grady
Judy Jackson … LeFay
Jesse Santoyo … Chanco
Natalie Renee Long … Rebecca
Graeme Buffenbarger … Gabriel

Runtime: 100 min.

Loren Anthony as Ninekiller, a member of Sully’s band in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Jordan Stephens as Grady, a leader of renegade killers in Potters’ Ground (2021)

Memorable lines:

Goldie, after her dad gives her and Indian charm guaranteed to protect her “from darkness”: “Is that really true.”
Sully: “It’s true she said it. Listen, I’ll tell you something I know is true. If any monster ever tries to hurt you, it’s going to find out real quick your daddy is the scariest thing in the dark. The very scariest thing.”

Lex: “The way I see it, causing chaos is my purpose.”

Kate: “You’re doing that again.”
Sully: “What?”
Kate: “Warming up your trigger finger. You do that whenever you’re thinking of mischief.”

Sully: “There was a time when I had a $3,000 price on my head.”
Kate: “Hmm, and your head isn’t even the most valuable part.”

David Ditmore as Col. Alford, the Confederate officer who sends Sully and friends on their mission in Potter’s Ground (2021)

James J. Fuertes as Maj. Keller, the Rebel officer who wants the amulet in Poetter’s Ground (2021)

Lex: “There’s something about the sight of blood that just brings out the parasite in me.”

Dolorosa, of a piece of the amulet: “This doesn’t belong to you.”
Lex: “Well, unless you’re a serpent god from the underworld, I don’t expect your name’s on it either.”

Dolorosa, as Lex is about to pull the trigger of his six-gun: “Don’t, you need me.”
Lex: “Why? Is there a sudden shortage of treacherous whores?”

Dolorosa: “Deep in our hearts, no matter how old we get, we still know there are monsters in the dark places of the world.”

Lex to Sully: “You know, I’m glad you’ve got a home, sweet home waitin’ for you back in the world. But I frankly don’t understand why the rest of us got to walk the straight and narrow just because you found Jesus between some farm girl’s thighs.”

Sully, of he and his companions: “If there was a righteous God in heaven, he never would’ve made men like us.”

Lexi Janicek as Goldie, Sully’s daughter, looking for reassurance that there aren’t monsters under her bed in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Isaiah Stratton as Sully, assuring his daughter he’ll do everything possible to keep her safe in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Leslie Mills as Kate, Sully’s wife, cuddling up to her mischievous man in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Scott Crain as Lex, Isaiah Stratton as Sully and Loren Anthony as Ninekiller spot an unexpected obstacle in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Scott Crain as Lex, examining the artifact he and his companions were seeking in Potter’s Ground (2021)

Leslie Mills as Kate and Isaiah Stratton as Sully comfort daughter Goldie (Lexi Janicek) in Potter’s Ground (2021)