A ne’er-do-well drifter hitchhikes his way to his sister’s family and is charitably taken in but made less welcome by her disapproving husband. Sound familiar? Maybe so, but the formula is refreshed in this smart and often surprising comedy-drama about hairline fractures in a nuclear family cracking open—all because of a visitor. Blaise Miller (who co-wrote the screenplay with writer-director-actor David Hickey) plays Josh, who has had a rugged few days making his way to his sister Crystal (Shaneye Ferrell), her spouse Harvey (Hickey), and their middle-school daughter, Pearl (Grace Love). Bent on giving Josh shelter and incorporating him into family rituals, Crystal unwittingly intensifies Harvey’s stress and hidden estrangement from her and Pearl. It’s not so much that Josh is in the way (he’s staying in their backyard camper so is not under foot), but that he personifies Harvey’s anxiety and sense of isolation while the latter is desperately building a new business. Josh displaces Harvey as the man in Pearl’s life, and seems like a reliable mentor. But a river of secrets and lies run beneath the superficial easiness of this seemingly ideal home. Recommended. (T. Keogh)
Homestate
Dreamscape, 86 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 Volume 33, Issue 6
Homestate
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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