Among the thousands of TV and movie westerns I've seen, some have crossed over with sci-fi and the supernatural, like Cowboys & Aliens, Jonah Hex or a slew of totally forgettable flicks pitting cowpokes against vampires, zombies or other things that go bump in the night. This low-budget affair breaks a bit of new ground... more uniquely, perhaps, than laudably.
Red Ridge is a dusty, nowhere little town of dashed hopes, founded on the promise of a gold rush that never materialized, leaving a handful of bored residents. Even the local outlaw gang that harasses the folks can't rustle up a decent living. The sheriff (Owen Williams) and his deputy (Trent Culkin - apparently no relation to the other Culkins in the biz) seem like good guys, but hardly the stuff of which legends are made. Adding to the sheriff's sense of being overmatched are ghostly hallucinations that start driving him nuts. He sees dead people (none of whom look anything like Bruce Willis) and doesn't know why. Or handle it well.
There are a few holdups and shootings, with a couple of unlikely deaths. The gang gets smaller and the town's sparse population takes a few hits. The sheriff is more of a thinker than a doer. Oddly, his only book is about thermodynamics. But the most unusual part of this isn't the ghosties. It's the only western I can recall in which absolutely no one rides a horse! A couple pull the stagecoach in one scene. But no one's ever in a saddle, and none are even tied to hitching posts along the street. (Maybe the Equine Actors' Guild was on strike when the shoot was scheduled. As Westerns have gone out of favor, most of its members may be heavily saddled with debt, and that ain't hay. Jus' speculatin' here, folks.)
Writer Brandon Cahela and several of the credited producers filled supporting roles. Another sign of limited funding.
All in all, the film is a low-key curiosity that might work for you, now that you know not to expect much in the way of f/x or adrenaline stirring.
