What if Catholic cardinals were just a bunch of messy bitches?

Exciting to watch a writer-director and actor collaborate on walking the fine line between making a character likable and unbearable

An unlikely marriage between a girls coming of age story and a traditional mob movie that works better than it probably should. Bolstered by an outstanding performance from the young lead, the film manages to build suspense despite so many of the characters destiny's feeling pre-ordained. The complex details an relationships of the mob world are not quite always clear but the film's style and energy keeps viewers engaged.

This is a handsomely mounted drama with a good eye for the details of harsh southern Ohio setting. The plot feels conflicted between a more grounded day-to-day slice of life narrative and a full bore rustic noir crime story. I kind of wish the film had leaned more heavily into crime story since scrapper villain is the most fully realized character. The protagonist is well portrayed but the character as written never quite snaps into focus to be more than a cypher.