The sunset of the American dream. Ostrosocial drama is the directorial debut of Nicole Riegel. We can justifiably congratulate Nicole on her good fortune, even though the pandemic made adjustments to the premiere screening of the film. There is no doubt that audience sympathies will provide interest in her future works. She dared to touch on the most ungrateful, but painfully important topics: social stratification, impoverishment of provincial cities, bankruptcy of city-forming enterprises, unemployment, the growth of uncontrolled crime, the crisis of the educational system. Aren't we all familiar with this?
Blaze and Ruth - the names of the main characters - brother and sister, live somewhere in Ohio, barely making ends meet. Ruth is still in school, combining education with casual part-time jobs, and often stealing. Blaze has been out of high school for two years to give all his strength to his sister and mother. There's also a mother. She is in a special institution of a closed type for addicted drug addicts. But she didn't get there out of bad will. Working on the production line, she injured her arm and, in order not to lose her job, continued to work further, gradually soaking up on painkillers.
Separately, I must say about the girl. Ruth is a small star in the cold sky of the impenetrable provincial darkness. Her bright, memorable image was perfectly able to convey the British Jessica Barden, already known and loved by her former works actress. For example, no less talented, albeit less significant role of a girl named Keith in the film “Rogue” Ian Softley. Jessica is twenty-eight years old, but she has a teenage appearance and is therefore perfectly organic as a high school graduate.
Ruth, as if for self-examination, fills out college admission tests but does not send, given the family's plight. Notifications about eviction from the house do not let you forget about it. Then Blaze, finding the tests, sends them by mail. After a while came a positive response very upset Ruth - she does not want to accept such a sacrifice from her brother and go to study, having put his mother on his shoulders. In search of a way out of the situation, they contact a dealer leading a semi-criminal business for the sale of non-ferrous metals.
The film cannot but touch the soul. The topics touched upon in the film are no less close to the Russian viewer, he is familiar with them on an even larger scale. And although Nicole Riegel leaves the heroine a chance to break into the people, everyone understands that global problems remain and continue to worsen.
9 out of 10