STUDIO: Screen Media | DIRECTOR: Chad Faust | CAST: Bella Thorne, Chad Faust, Mickey Rourke, Lanette Ware, Glen Gould
RELEASE DATE: Nov. 20, 2020
SPECS: R | 92 min. | ThrillerRATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
Girl is a poorly named but genuinely thrilling new film by writer/director Chris Faust, whose previous features include the little-seen Better Start Running from 2018 and 2013’s Watercolor Postcards.
Bella Thorne (Blended) portrays a young woman known only as “Girl” who returns to her small hometown to exact revenge on her abusive father…only to discover someone murdered him the day before.
Angered, Girl decides to find the person responsible for stealing her opportunity for vengeance. In lieu of a warm welcome home party, she receives the coldest of shoulders and a lot of strange looks from a lot of strangers. Her search for answers starts to rattle the cages of “Sheriff” (the perfectly creepy Mickey Rourke) and “Charmer” (played by Faust, himself). As can be seen, names aren’t a priority in this film, where other characters are humorously credited as “Bad Mom,” “Town Fuckup” and “Dart Talker.”
As Girl uncovers the events surrounding her father’s death, she learns a devastating family secret that changes everything she thought she knew about her life.
Faust is in full control of the narrative, directing from his own sharp script which provides just enough background and character development to keep one engaged without any extended exposition or melodrama. The taut 92 minute film is evenly paced and features an evocative score by Dillon Baldassero (Black Cop) which blankets the film with an eerie sense of immediacy while effectively building tension. Thorne is captivating in her portrayal of Girl, efficiently using her facial expressions and body language to do most of the talking.
The only aspect that doesn’t fit is the title. Faust comments that the film is about “her unusual journey through self-destruction and rage, as she teeters between girl and woman, to find maturity, to find she has something to offer the world.” His vision succeeds but, with so much quarantine competition, Girl deserves a more evocative name to entice viewers to its worthy content.
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