By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Lauren Fash
Starring: Bethany Anne Lind | Judith Ivey | Katrina Norman | Kerry Cahill | Michael Trucco | Robyn Lively | Shanola Hampton
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 103
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5585272/reference
Michael says: “You don’t see whole lot of Southern gothic on film nowadays, but director Lauren Fash (with her co-writer/partner) actress, Susan Graham, have dived wholeheartedly into one, made all the more complicated by an unreliable narrator, and a melodramatic storyline that sometimes makes you feel like you’re in a noir written by Tennessee Williams. After Charlie’s daughter mysteriously disappears and the local sheriff is unable to drum up any leads, a second girl goes missing, and Charlie is convinced there is a connection. Charlie’s got a bit of a reputation with the local law, and when she partners up with an out-of-town reporter, she starts to uncover some dark secrets that powerful folks in the town would rather not have unearthed. Of course, like any good thriller, there’s a major plot twist toward the end, that a is subtly hinted at in enough of a way that you know there’s going to be some kind or reveal, but not so obvious that most people will figure it out.
“Fash does a nice job digging up some real melodrama, while layering the film with perhaps one or two too many issues (LGBTQ relationships; violence towards women; prostitution to name a few) and it definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the film is well constructed, and lead actress Robyn Lively throws herself into Charlie’s character whole-heartedly. Judith Ivey, well-known actress of stage and screen (both large and small) has a small role as well, and she tears into it with relish. Nice to see Susan Graham also bringing in a memorable performance as well. Fash and Susan’s first film, the short, QUIET, was featured at the Provincetown International Film Festival, where we got to know the two of them along with Beth Grant. They were kind enough to join us for our Weekly Film Discussion to talk about their film. 3 cats“