While surveying a telegraph line in 1861, Western Union engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is severely injured in an accident. He is discovered by Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott), an outlaw on the run from a posse. Forced to travel on foot after his horse was hurt, Shaw at first considers stealing Creighton's horse, but changes his mind and takes the man with him, saving his life.
Sometime later, following his recovery, Creighton returns to Omaha, Nebraska and plans the construction of a telegraph line from Omaha to Salt Lake City, Utah. Facing considerable opposition to the line from Confederate soldiers, Indians, and outlaws, Creighton elicits the help of his sister Sue (Virginia Gilmore), foreman Pat Grogan (Minor Watson), and assistant Homer Kettle (Chill Wills).
Looking to put his outlaw past behind him, Shaw arrives at Creighton's Western Union office looking for honest work and is hired as a scout by Grogan who is unaware of his past. Creighton recognizes him among the men and allows him to stay despite his suspicions. Creighton also hires tenderfoot Richard Blake (Robert Young), a Harvard-educated engineer as a favor to Blake's father. Shaw and Blake are both attracted to Sue and vie for her attention, but their romantic rivalry is cut short when construction of the telegraph line starts on July 4, 1861.
After work commences on the line, one of the men is killed apparently by a mysterious band of cattle-rustling Indians. Unconvinced that Indians are to blame, Shaw rides out to investigate and follows the rustlers' trail to the camp of Jack Slade, a former friend and cohort, whose gang committed the killing disguised as Indians—the gang Shaw left following his last bank robbery. Slade reveals that they are working for the Confederacy to disrupt Western Union because they believe the telegraph service will help the Union. Shaw rides away and returns to the line. Not wanting to turn in his former friends, Shaw tells Creighton that a large band of Dakota Indians stole the cattle, and recommends that they simply replace the herd and not risk a fight with the Indians.
Sometime later, a confrontation takes place between men working on the forward line and a band of drunken Indians. When one of the Indians tries to steal some equipment, a nervous Blake shoots him, ignoring Shaw's order to remain calm. After word arrives that the main camp is under attack by other Indians, the Western Union men rush back to help with the defense. At the main camp, Slade's men, who are again disguised as Indians, steal the Western Union horses. The company discover the ruse when one of the wounded Indians turns out to be a white man. Forced to buy back their stolen horses from Slade, Creighton becomes suspicious of Shaw's involvement, especially when he admits to knowing the gang.
Soon the U.S. Army arrives and announces the Indians have now refused to allow the telegraph lines to go through their territory in response to Blake's shooting of the drunken Indian. Creighton, Shaw, and Blake ride out to convince Chief Spotted Horse to allow them to build the line through Indian territory, even though the man Blake wounded was Spotted Horse's son. Creighton is finally able to persuade the Indians to allow them passage, and work continues until the company approaches Salt Lake City.
Sometime later, Shaw receives word that Jack Slade wants to meet with him. On the way to see Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. Slade says his group is going to burn down the Western Union camp and they don't want Shaw to interfere. After Slade and his men ride off, Shaw escapes from his ropes but arrives back too late to prevent the fire. He helps rescue some of the Western Union men from the flames and burns his hands in the process.
After the fire, Creighton confronts Shaw for an explanation, but Shaw does not reveal what he knows and is fired by Creighton. As Shaw leaves the camp, he tells Blake that Slade is actually Shaw's brother and that he, Shaw, will find Slade's gang and stop them from interfering with the telegraph project. Shaw rides off and finds Slade and his men in a nearby town. At the barber shop, Shaw confronts his brother, whose gun is concealed under the barber's sheet. Slade shoots Shaw through the sheet. Shaw fights back in spite of his wound, killing some of the gang members, and then dies. Blake arrives and continues the fight with Slade who dies from his wounds. Soon after, the Western Union line is completed and the workers celebrate. When Sue laments the absence of Shaw, Creighton tells her that Shaw can hear them.
想要一个人冷静冷静的时候看这部电影很合适，但是情绪不到位就是感觉很怪
3.5星吧，画面很干净，配乐也恰到好处，内容就不评价了
这剧本很棒啊，就是演员演技青涩了些，但是真的很惊喜了。
人與人之間果然很難理解與共情啊 有很多我不能理解的地方 但不妨礙人物的悲慘命運 / 對橫濱流星僅存的好感在這部影片後消失殆盡
还比较惊喜的一部网大吧，故事架构不错，有始有终，就是最后反转结局太有功夫的意味了，难免老套，全剧最清醒是大眼，如果一开始第一重结局编成划船的是掉落悬崖流落街头的养子可能更合理一点。PS:男主有点点眼熟。
新浪微博上某号推的，说是一部非常不错的能上院线的网大，比很多院线恐怖片强多了，忽悠得我一愣一愣的。看了，浪费我的时间！博主为了挣点钱拉低自己的鉴赏水平也不怕夜心慌。博主说影片光影不错，那是网大和院线都该有的基本功。然后博主拿演员的表演跟低成本院线惊悚片比，本身就是拉低格局。该影片的演员表演刻意，个个都像主角抢着表现自己，眼里透着自己的小聪明，根本不在角色里，看着不难受才怪。剧作也就那样，一贯的图收益回报安全的网大跟风之作。2022·6.14 6.5/6148 短评2670，%59/30/11
一部网络大电影拍成这样，真的很优秀了，看过很多恐怖片，这部真是不错，罗生门式的中式恐怖，融入本土的狐仙还有女鬼真的非常精彩！
后半部，又只能落到伦理上，落到各种大义上……呕
三星半，剩下半星是鼓励我国网大。事实证明用心就能拍好故事
虽然明知道不可能有怪力乱神，最后肯定能绕到正常里去，总体来说还可以，就是那帮工的设计的差事儿，大锄头居然砸不死人，折了以后打人屁股，这样的操作确实活不起！恐怖版《失信的村庄》！
原来还是人性在作怪。这世上哪有什么妖魔鬼怪，丑陋的人性才是魑魅魍魉。
被朋友安利的，没想到现在网大已经这么认真了！
连土匪都敬服三分，不愿伤害的谢家，却毁在了一群猪狗不如的畜生手上，还是他倾尽全力守护的村民，真是讽刺。
PS：各种转折细节分支最后都比较合理的连成了线，圆成了圈，挺不错的~
看完隔壁《边缘行者》，直接怒打四星。
相当不错的电影，甚至不用加“网络”二字。多视角讲述一个故事，有逻辑有氛围，电影视听感强。怪志故事与现实人心融合的不错。当今大环境下想看鬼故事是不可能的，能拍成这样比很多院线电影都强。
居然很好看。原本以为是个港风鬼片，找来下饭的，结果居然是个罗生门故事，最恶不过人心，升米恩斗米仇，剧情层层转折。。。4.3 编剧名字看着眼熟，原来是《我当阴阳先生那几年》
有道是：
被片名跟海报耽误的典型案例！故事还行，人心险恶连鬼狐也自愧弗如~
比很多院线电影都好，虽然也还是有不少漏洞，部分剧情为了反转而反转，而且有的演员确实演技也差了点，总体不错，再这样下去，电影院要玩完
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