| A | Fantastic Fest 2024 |
A marvelous movie. The description in the program sums it up perfectly: “A darkly comedic neo-noir, a road trip movie, and a redemption story.” Yes, all five of those elements were mixed into one move.
The script was wonderful. Especially the dynamics between these two divergent characters. And there was a surprising amount of humor (without ever making it feel like a comedy).
Shea Whigham did a great job. In the Q&A he and the director talked about the number of times they cut dialogue grime a scene. This turned out to be very effective, as Whigham easily conveyed the thought behind what the dialogue would have been.
But Carrie Coon was amazing. She had the flashier role, true, but she shined here. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Oscar buzz around her if/when this gets distribution.
And director Jeffrey Reiner’s shot setups were great. And his support of the actors’ efforts. And all this from the script he wrote. I found a lot to like in this movie.
