‘Phantom Cowboys’: Broken Dreams And Bittersweet Hope Haunt This Poignant Documentary [Review]

How do you define the “American dream?” For most citizens, the idealized concept of success in the United States will never become a reality. The land of luxury is jam-packed with as much privilege as it is with overbearing hardship, neglected aspirations, and oppressive circumstances. Consequently, Daniel Patrick Carbone’s documentary “Phantom Cowboys” rips the scales off the audience’s eyes to examine the fragmented heart America in its purest form.

By following the lives of three small-town teenagers (Larry Young, Nick Reyes, and Tyler Carpenter) over the course of approximately nine years, Carbone’s film sculpts an uncomfortable triptych built upon unavoidable truths nested at the heart of the nation. As the hopeful teens come of age, the arrested development of their homeland mirrors the somewhat frozen progression within their own lives.

Interestingly, Carbone’s documentary depicts the United States as an otherworldly wasteland filled with fire, disappointment, smoke, and family. Notably, “Phantom Cowboys” speaks loudest when flaunting its wordless, fluid control of camerawork. Specks of ash raining down onto the heads of rabbit-hunting youth as they bound through burning sugarcane fields; a former homecoming king, resigned to a job at the local factory, watching football players from faraway bleachers; race cars blurring by cheering spectators sitting side-by-side behind rusty chain-link fencing—all of these richly composed visual flourishes feed into Carbone’s pensive interpretation of America. The filmmaker’s perspective on the American dream possesses little in the way of traditional glamour, but Carbone sifts through the tangled forests of West Virginia, Floridian suburbs, and Californian deserts that operate as the documentary’s constantly revolving landmarks to root out the non-conventional means that unnoticed Americans employ as a means of attaining happiness.

Atmospherically, “Phantom Cowboys” sews its narrative together in a fashion similar to an optimistic rendition of an early-era Harmony Korine film (picture a far less disgusting “Gummo”), although comparisons to the works of David Gordon Green and Terrence Malick function as artistic counterparts and possible influences, especially considering the eye-popping qualities Carbone weaves into his hazy dreamscapes.

The documentary’s pacing strolls more than it sprints, regularly peeking back into the past years of the three men’s lives to compare foregone adolescence with in-progress maturation. The recurring theme of finding an elevated purpose in an aimless environment binds Larry, Nick, and Tyler together, although none of the men ever meet on camera. Nevertheless, this intentional separation allows their unconscious connection to radiate all the more as each subject adjusts to the initial years of manhood in their disparate towns.

Commendably, “Phantom Cowboys” hits its intended themes with an understated precision. As a comparative analysis of class disparity and racial inequality, Carbone lays out his cards with an exceptional sense of respect, retaining a remarkably impartial focus across all three stories. Although the documentary arguably perceives itself as possessing more depth than it actually does, the film’s ambitions supplant the majority of its defects.

Yet, for all of its raw truth and enchanting revelations, “Phantom Cowboys” skims the line of forgettability. Although conflict undeniably lurks beneath the surface, viewers are only permitted to sneak an uninhibited glance for a scene or two at most, none of which strike an emotive chord. Additionally, the lack of focus on any overt adversity deprives the audience of grasping the severity of these men’s situations, particularly in Larry’s segments. While Carbone should be congratulated for avoiding any manipulative tearjerker tactics, “Phantom Cowboys” rushes by without conveying a memorable message.

Still, “Phantom Cowboys” is a stylish treat for viewers who enjoy meditative cinema. As an enrapturing stroll down the dusty backroad pathways and flame-covered grassland that comprise a country, the documentary manages to offer an invigorating perspective on the United States by exploring the day-to-day lives of the unseen. Regrettably, “Phantom Cowboys” may slip by unappreciated, but the film still holds an invaluable amount of insight, knowledge, and understanding that deserves to be seen, heard, and never ignored. [B]