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.
With a warped sense of sarcastic humor in the theme song, “Blow the Man Down” this movie, based in Eastcove, Maine pushes you to the edge of your seat in an odd way, slowly unwinding the plot to keep you guessing. Intrigued by a full cast of men and women, in a dynamic storyline of mystery; there in this small town of fisherman and chatty women lies a secret which captivates townspeople and a cop who has a crush and sharp intuition. There were scenes I wanted to rewind to make sure I got the whole picture. Each frame of a second moved with suspense. Two unhappy sisters are the hallmark of this thriller facing loss back to back. Their grief hasn’t yet had a chance to cycle and process then gets surmounted with fierce overwhelming emotion by their own doings. Shades of grey are evident. You won’t want to take a bathroom break in this one.
This story encompasses death from a different angle, losing a loved one, in this case, Mary Margaret Connolly, the two sister’s mom and then before they can even cope, one girl runs in with a dangerous man, who she at first thinks is a potential lover. What she witnesses, she makes an assumption based on evident clues and runs for her life. What she does next will leave her in a position where she needs her sister. They link together and find the strength within to cover up their mistakes. Throughout the movie, there’s gossip, secrets, watchful eyes and the day-to-day grind that goes on no matter what. Their mom’s friends pull together to be there for one another after their loss and the girls learn of hardship, then steal and find their power in each other’s turmoil. A cop is on to the sisters but his personal endeavors leave him apprehensive of making any initial moves until he has all the pieces but they find loopholes to try and dodge their misconduct. Scene after scene they seem to encounter mercy. With fishermen constantly at sea and women chattering around town, they’re engulfed into their guilt that shines on their faces with unproven lies. The end will have you sharing expressions with the sister.
Gestures are given throughout the film from the cast that reminds you about having one’s back yet also showcasing motives that are like the backhand. Sympathy is seen as a dark shadow, bringing light in moments of uncertainty. People show their true colors in a remarkable twist of character that’s revealed by the aftermath in the town. Hospitality, flowers, money, and more are often byproducts of what we feel compelled to do but is seen here as masking an underlying self-purpose, a sort of manipulation. Several times my reaction to different scenes left me taking in the moral compass of how thought and action interplay. Behavior is written all over people’s faces and it’s like the whole town is trying to figure everyone out, all the while fitting in to gain acceptance.
There’s an element of surprise documented throughout, where truth and values make for interesting viewing. The Connolly sisters lead the show with their sisterly bond that paves the way for each next move for the rest of the cast. One thing I noticed was a lot of dessert indulgence for hidden feelings. It made me think about how people eat chocolate when they’re having a hard time expressing their emotions or knowing how to handle what’s going on inside of them. However, to witness these people eat sweetbreads and pie like there’s no tomorrow, not knowing the truth, overshadowed what was really going on. It was as if I was watching them binge and exhibit emotional eating when they didn’t have a clue yet the extent of what wasn’t being told.
If you like thrillers don’t come into this one with the mindset of how they usually pan out but more so a murder-mystery, near water, with lots of townspeople and their observations. I found it charming that it appeared to be a merging of “Steel Magnolias” and fishing movies with suspense and surprise added in, to gauge your attention the whole time. I could watch this movie again just to see different parts to analyze them over and over. Grab some popcorn, candy, a drink and someone to watch it with you and you’ll surely be talking about different scenes by the time it’s over. By the end, I was able to see the end, through the eyes of the sisters. This was written in a clever, witty way to cover up deception in a place anyone can relate to, your hometown.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Friday, March 20th
