I will say right from the start, the horse killing of the title is a metaphor.

I nearly swapped out of this film as I saw Iron Winter earlier in the week, an Australian documentary about horse herders in Mongolia which didn’t blow my hair back. Convinced by fairly positive reviews and that this drama was directed by a woman, Xiaoxuan Jiang, I came to it hoping that we may might see a more nuanced portrait of life in Mongolia that might include, God forbid, some women.

It’s one of those slow, sparse and quiet films that plays out a story without a lot of haste or drama. We are following Saina (Saina), a shepherd and herdsman living with his father on the steppes. A friend has sold his flock and moved to the city. Saina’s father is in debt from gambling and has a habit of drinking any profits.

I suspect like many young men, Saina is forced to take other jobs to keep the family afloat. The impact of Chinese investment and mining and tourism is clear, and a lot of the work is in things aimed at tourists. Saina rides in a spectacular arena show, obviously staging Mongolian history and riding prowess against colourful lights and spectacular tricks.

There is one woman in the story, Saina’s ex-wife, who has custody of his young son and has chosen to move their son to a city kindergarten so that he can learn Chinese and English. The implication is clear that this will give him more opportunities in the future than learning Mongolian. She also is forced to work in a job that she finds demeaning.

There is not much of a dramatic arc and really we are in the head of Saina as he grapples with what his future is. And of course we understand that he is representative of so many young Mongolian men. Is there any worth in keeping a sheep herd when there is drought after drought and an insecure future? Farmers all over the world know that conundrum. Is there any point in keeping his horses? They are obviously his love but where is the argument for them in an increasingly modernised culture?

There is definitely a sense that alcohol is the only way to deal with the existential crisis. The ending is an interesting one – tonally different to the rest of the film and perhaps an expedient way to end the story in a way that underlines its message.