Charley, a teen living with his single father, finds work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean On Pete. When he learns Pete is bound for slaughter, the two embark on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a place to call home. A film by Andrew Haigh, starring Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, and Chloë Sevigny.

Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer), living with his wayward single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), finds Ray’s new girlfriend Lyn (Amy Seimetz), making them breakfast upon returning home from his morning run. They’ve just moved to a small house in Portland where Ray has a new job working in warehouses.

Charley becomes concerned when Ray tells him that Lyn is married to a Samoan, but currently separated. He fears for Ray’s safety if her husband finds out. Ray assures Charley not to worry, asserting that Lyn’s husband moved away to live with another woman and that Lyn’s husband didn’t know where Charley and Ray live. Charley tells Ray about the horse track he noticed around the area when Ray asks him the distance of his run this morning. Ray leaves Charley some money before taking off to work with Lyn.

In the evening, Charley is home alone as Ray doesn’t come back from work. Charley looks at an old photo of himself as a child and his aunt Margy. In the past, Margy and Ray got into a big fight about how Ray was a negligent father, and she wanted Charley to stay with her instead. However, Charley chose to live with Ray, and they moved away from Margy. Ray and Margy haven’t spoken again since that incident.

The next morning, during his morning run, Charley is flagged down by Del (Steve Buscemi), who offers him $10 to help change a flat tire because his hand is injured. Having fixed the flat tire, Charley inquires if Del needs a hand with anything else. Del inquires about Charley’s age, to which he lies and says he’s 16. Del offers Charley a $25 job to assist him in transporting two racehorses, Tumbling Through and Lean On Pete, to a horse race in Wenatchee.

Everything seems to have fallen into place. Charley enjoys his new job working with horses, and even Ray is happy that Charley can make his own money. But their happiness is short-lived. Several days later, Charley is jolted awake in the middle of the night by loud bangs on the front door. Lyn’s enraged husband bursts through the door and violently assaults Ray before disappearing. Left battered and bleeding from a shard of broken glass after being pushed through a glass door, Ray is rushed to the hospital.

Charley asks Ray for his Aunt Margy’s phone number, so he could call her and maybe she could help. Refusing to swallow his pride, Ray rejects the suggestion, insisting they can handle things themselves. He encourages Charley to continue working with Del.

Del introduces Charley to his jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny), as they take a trip to the horse race at Morgan Arena. Knowing Charley worries about Pete, Bonnie advises Charley not to get attached to the horse, explaining that horses are not pets, and they are meant to race and nothing else.

Written and directed by English filmmaker Andrew Haigh, based on American author Willy Vlautin’s 2010 novel of the same name, follows 15-year-old Charley Thompson and his wayward single father as they move from Spokane to Portland, hoping to start over again. But the unfortunate circumstance drives Charley on a road trip with a fading racehorse named Lean On Pete.

The filmmaker masterfully conveys the desperation and yearning for connection of the protagonist without resorting to melodramatic flashbacks or exposition. We learn about Charley’s past through fleeting moments when he sometimes talks about it to Pete on their journey. This journey becomes the narrative, with each encounter revealing a new facet of Charley’s character and the harsh realities of life on the fringes.

Their journey across the American landscape is captured through the lens of sublime cinematography, painting a melancholic yet strangely beautiful portrait of desperation and resilience.

The supporting cast, including seasoned actors like Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Amy Seimetz, Steve Zahn, and Travis Fimmel, further elevates the film’s authenticity. Their portrayals of flawed individuals with genuine human connection and the constant threat of precarious existence feel utterly believable, adding depth and texture to the narrative.

Charlie Plummer’s performance is nothing short of remarkable, conveying Charley’s vulnerability and determination with a heartbreaking honesty. His portrayal compels us to root for him on his quest to find his true home. As he searches, he tends to stray away from those who seemingly want to help him, gradually plunging himself into a darker side of humanity. Home for Charley isn’t just a place he can stay, but it’s a place where he could be vulnerable and where he is loved.

LEAN ON PETE premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 1 September 2027. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 6 April, by A24.