What a fantastic discovery! A gripping drama that manages to skillfully walk that tricky line between intelligently passionate and emotionally involving drama and eye-rolling melodrama. There’s a vivid sense of place and time with intriguing characters whose actions gradually be come, to a degree, understandable – this is particularly with the case of the German immigrant mother who is a more nuanced character than she at first appears to be.
The film is held together by a superb performance from Mia Goth in a performance that, particularly as the climax approaches, could have become ludicrous. But she superbly control everything and manages to convey a degree of sympathy for her situation, most notably in the superb climactic monologue to her cousin where she completely opens up about herself, gaining much sympathy, in spite of what subsequently happens in the approaching climax. Like Shelley Duvall, Mia Farrow and Bette Davis, her eyes – large, slightly bulbous – reveal her inner mind and the director very skillfully uses this remarkable feature to its full effect.
The use of music and sound is very fine and a major part of the power of the storytelling.
A fascinating and gripping piece of work.