Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly attempt to cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters must go deep into the criminal underbelly of their hometown, uncovering the town’s darkest secrets.
“Blow the Man Down” is a strong film supported by its clever script and fantastic cast. Although I have reservations towards certain choices made in the film, both Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy deliver an immersive story of matriarchal cooperation and division. The singing fishermen are my primary griefs with the film. They fill the same expositional role as a Greek chorus but don’t seem to fit the style of the film. Our leads, Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly (played by Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe) are our guides through Easter Cove and their story brings them deep into the heart of this town’s history. Margo Martindale plays the excellent madam Devlin whose villainous persona grows more complex as we further explore her history within Easter Cove. This movie culminates with a clash of the past and the present, breaking way to a new future for Easter Cove and the Connolly sisters.
The film begins with the death of the Connolly sisters’ mother, Mary Margaret Connolly (Linda Shary). She’d been a great friend to most of everyone in Easter Cove. During the reception, we learn how different the Connolly sisters are from one another. Mary Beth is the younger of the two and has a much more rebellious personality than her sister Priscilla. Mary Beth wants to leave Easter Cove for college and experience the broader world. Priscilla, instead, enjoys the ease of Easter Cove and is fine with continuing to run their family’s fish market. As the sisters listen to stories of their mother’s kindness from her friends, they realize that she was a bit of a cornerstone for Easter Cove. Soon after, an argument regarding finances for the fish market arises. Mary Beth leaves enraged at her sister’s reluctance to share this information.
Mary Beth goes out drinking and meets a stranger. They enjoy each other’s company and eventually leave together. She discovers that this stranger is more dangerous than she assumed. The tension builds as Mary Beth tries to escape but ultimately finds herself killing the stranger in self-defense. This event begins a chain reaction within Easter Cove and begins to unravel the town’s dark secrets. Mary Beth brings Priscilla to the scene and they devise a plan to get rid of the body. Using a knife branded with the Connolly name they sever the limbs and dump the body in the ocean. The balance of panic and control is strongly present in Lowe’s performance whose character is more step-back than take charge. She brings to life a truly caring big sister who would do anything for her little sister despite her own virtues.
After the sisters get rid of the body we are reintroduced to the friends of their mother. While they take a stroll down the snowy road, they witness a woman in a skimpy dress and a large coat walking towards a big house. They shake their heads in disgust. This skimpily-dressed woman leads us to my favorite character of the film, Madam Devlin. Margo Martindale’s portrayal of a woman running a brothel in a small fishing town is captivating. Her rough and tough exterior reveals itself to be merely armor for a lonely embittered woman who has lost more than she’s ever gained. Her involvement introduces a new problem for the Connolly sisters when we discover that the stranger was, in fact, employed by Madam Devlin. A fixer who recently solved a matter for her. Madam Devlin begins her search for her fixer and winds up finding the knife used by the sisters.
Meanwhile, the sisters realize that they’ve lost the knife. Mary Beth goes back to search for it but instead finds only a sack of money. She reassures her sister that she got rid of the knife. Thinking all is well once again they are unaware of Madam Devlin’s knowledge of their transgressions. Devlin pays a visit to the girls and grills them on things she already knows. She does admit that their mother and she were quite the team once upon a time. Shocked that their mother would be friends with the madam the girls begin to plan their next move. They confirm Devlin’s claims about their mother through their mother’s friends. They reveal the history between Easter Cover and Madam Devlin’s brothel. The brothel was made with the consent and assistance of the sisters’ mother, Devlin, and the friends. It was created to ward off the fishermen from taking advantage of the women in Easter Cove and gave them a place to find what they wanted. It also created a nice revenue stream for everyone. Slowly, all the women abandoned the brothel for one reason or another except for Devlin. She now stands as the primary owner and despises the hypocrisy these women have for judging her on a brothel, they all had a hand in creating.
As all the secrets float to the surface the sisters make a deal to exchange the money for the knife with Devlin. The film concludes with several unexpected bookends that I won’t spoil here but make for a satisfying end. “Blow the Man Down” is really a riveting tale of a town’s matriarchy and the bond between sisters (both familial and nonfamilial). The Connolly sisters learn more about themselves as they learn more about their deceased mother. Devlin and the rest of the women show how your choices do not define you but they will always be a part of you. All in all, the directors had a clear vision and executed with precision. Some details and b-stories don’t mesh well with the overarching storyline but they don’t distract as to take you out of the film. I am very excited to see what else directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy will bring since they clearly have great chemistry and can construct a thrilling film.
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