The acting in this film was gripping. The tone was amazing and super compelling. The scope of the film was perfectly suited to highlight the small town drama. However, this film was overly bleak and too uncomfortable to be enjoyable to watch!
*************** SPOILERS **************** The problem with this movie is that it had very few moments of joy or goodness to offset all the misery it presented. It was brutally graphic and raw... but out of balance. I really needed a little sunshine to counterbalance all the evil. Luckily, Bear, the truck driver, and the diner boss lady, were in Katie's corner. But it never they never got a chance to shine as a hero or mentor for her.
Every little bit of redemption or hope was missing or hidden from the audience. For example, when the mechanic goes to beat up the rapist, we didn't get to have the justice of seeing the revenge on screen. In stead, they just cut away. It was frustrating to not get closure on seeing the rapist get his due.
And even in the very end of the movie, we see Katie is finally choosing to overcome and move on. But she hitchhikes to a semi truck and we know she is just going to get abused again. I wish the semi pulled up, and a really friendly and motherly lady trucker was at the wheel. Then we would have felt like Katie was going to be ok. But instead, we know exactly what will happen in that truck.
Overall, my feeling felt like... If you are getting hit on the hand with a hammer for 2 hours, it feels really good when someone stops hitting. Like when Katie finally chooses hope at the end. Sure, she chose hope, but after being hit with a hammer so long, any break would feel good. It felt manipulative in that way, gratuitous cruelty with the end goal of relief.
*************** SPOILERS **************** The problem with this movie is that it had very few moments of joy or goodness to offset all the misery it presented. It was brutally graphic and raw... but out of balance. I really needed a little sunshine to counterbalance all the evil. Luckily, Bear, the truck driver, and the diner boss lady, were in Katie's corner. But it never they never got a chance to shine as a hero or mentor for her.
Every little bit of redemption or hope was missing or hidden from the audience. For example, when the mechanic goes to beat up the rapist, we didn't get to have the justice of seeing the revenge on screen. In stead, they just cut away. It was frustrating to not get closure on seeing the rapist get his due.
And even in the very end of the movie, we see Katie is finally choosing to overcome and move on. But she hitchhikes to a semi truck and we know she is just going to get abused again. I wish the semi pulled up, and a really friendly and motherly lady trucker was at the wheel. Then we would have felt like Katie was going to be ok. But instead, we know exactly what will happen in that truck.
Overall, my feeling felt like... If you are getting hit on the hand with a hammer for 2 hours, it feels really good when someone stops hitting. Like when Katie finally chooses hope at the end. Sure, she chose hope, but after being hit with a hammer so long, any break would feel good. It felt manipulative in that way, gratuitous cruelty with the end goal of relief.