Kiah Cato

Ugh. What a waste of time. While the acting was excellent, the story was lacking. All I could think after this is…all these amazing actors and they really read this script and thought it would be worth their while? To be fair, it did lead to some Academy Award nominations - but I think the reason for that is not dissimilar from the reason critics and audiences feel so different about this film. Now noting that major cast members and the writer-director are all nepo-babies telling a middle class story…it makes sense why the main message behind the film (if there is one) never landed. There was not one likable character — which itself is not terrible. In fact, I usually enjoy films with characters I feel so strongly against because it means the story is inspiring some emotion (and isn’t that what art is about?). But this feels like the build up to a climax we never get. The main issue in the “present” is quickly dealt with in the most dissatisfying and illogical fashion. The rest of the movie is a series of flashbacks that make you dislike the protagonist more and more — with no attempt at exposing WHY she is such a terrible person to her core. The subject matter had such potential — stories of neglectful mothers are so rare. But sadly this missed the mark in a big way, setting the viewer up for a story that you only find out in the end was never being told. Truly a waste of two hours.