A fading sense of community: Fragile bonds in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women

This article examines Kelly Reichardt’s 2016 feature film Certain Women (2016) to explore how the film’s form articulates themes of loneliness, lack of agency and a fading sense of community within a postmodern context. Through the lives of Laura, Gina, Jamie and Beth, the film reveals fragile human bonds shaped by gender imbalance, class, race and sexuality. Reichardt’s narrative and cinematic approach emphasize an ethics and politics of fragility, with precarious links within a larger inferred context defining narrative development. The film situates community as a tenuous set of connections born from the insecurities of modern society, reflecting resistance amid adversity. Through mise en scène , precise camera work, and an intrinsically cinematic temporality, Reichardt portrays a world in flux, where women’s labour underscores the fragility of interpersonal and systemic bonds. Yet, these perilous connections suggest paths for renewal and agency even in uncertain times.