American Woman

It's 1974 before Nixon's resignation. Iris (Hong Chau) is a caretaker for Miss Dolly (Ellen Burstyn) in upstate New York. In reality, Iris is Jenny, a political activist and bomb maker in hiding. She gets tracked down by a former comrade who has an offer for her. He needs help caring for wanted celebrity activist Pauline (Sarah Gadon) as a heiress Patty Hearst-like character. There is also the self-important leader Juan (John Gallagher Jr.) and his girlfriend Yvonne (Lola Kirke) at the safe house.

It's a lot of sunshine in upstate New York. The tone is foreboding without tension. It has a moodiness but it's going nowhere fast. It needs more music to build up the era. It feels like it's trying to be a psychological horror. There is potential for a thriller. Juan is not threatening enough. Jenny seems so resourceful that she could walk away at any time. The question is if she is doing it for Pauline, it would be more intense if she is in love with Pauline. I would write Jenny as a lesbian falling for Pauline. The story needs to tie Jenny down to the place and ratchet up the intensity for a psychological horror. They need to stay in the farm house. Going back to Miss Dolly does have one advantage. It brings Ellen Burstyn back into play but that fleeting scene is not enough. The movie struggles to get intense and stay there. Then it turns into Thelma & Louise. It's flailing at this point and it's a road trip with no destination. That's this movie. It's a story with no intensity. These are intriguing characters with no payoff. There are some interesting actors but they're held back. It's a movie in need of a heavier hand.