Tweeked

Michelle (Ali Raymer) and Carrie (Darling Narita) are typical Los Angeles twentysomethings with a serious problem: they are unrepentant methamphetamine addicts. Their codependency has degenerated into a dismal experience of hunting for drug dealers, getting high, spiraling downward from the narcotized heights, and pulling themselves up to prepare for the inevitable reprise of that self-destructive ritual. A well-intended friend (Gavin Hignight) tries and miserably fails to get the pair to break their habit. An arrest brings neither shame nor a determination to go clean. And the discovery of a gun during a dumpster-diving run to scrounge up cash for meth eventually leads to trouble. Actually, the arrival of the gun dilutes this harrowing drama somewhat, adding an on-the-lam odyssey element which often feels like a poor fit. But even though the plot turns weak, first-time filmmaker Beth Dewey nonetheless has crafted a sharp, artistic, digitally shot feature fueled by the extraordinary acting of Raymer and Narita as the meth addicts who recklessly turn their lives into the human equivalent of a train wreck. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)