The salesman, Steve Butler (played by Matt Damon), is sent by his natural gas company to the rural town of McKinley, located in Pennsylvania, to buy the drilling rights from the local landowners. Together with his partner Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), Steve tries to convince the townspeople that the hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a safe and lucrative deal that will bring them prosperity and jobs.
Despite the initial success of their sales pitch, Steve faces opposition from a local teacher and environmentalist, Frank Yates (Hal Holbrook), and a charismatic activist, Dustin Noble (John Krasinski), who claims that fracking poses significant environmental risks, including water and air pollution, and can harm the health of local communities.
As the battle for the hearts and minds of the town escalates, Steve finds himself questioning his own beliefs and morality, especially after he develops a romantic relationship with a local woman, Alice (Rosemarie DeWitt), and learns the devastating impact fracking has had on her family's health and livelihood.
With the stakes high and the corporation's interest clashing with the town's values and well-being, Steve must make a choice between loyalty to his job and his conscience, a decision that could change his life forever.
Promised Land, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Damon and Krasinski, is a thought-provoking drama that tackles the ethical dilemmas surrounding the fracking industry and the power dynamics between big corporations and small communities.