Somewhere along the mid-19th century American East Coast frontier, two neighboring couples battle hardship and isolation, witnessed by a splendid yet testing landscape, challenging them both physically and psychologically.
In 1856, Abigail (Katherine Waterston) narrates an isolated existence in a harsh landscape. She lives with her husband Dyer (Casey Affleck) in a frail structure on a quaint farm. Her days are filled with chores and bookkeeping how much their crops have yielded. While walking alone she recalls her young daughter playing on a sunny day and in a brief montage, the child becomes ill and tragically passes. This loss creates a distance between the couple with the two unable to process or express their grief. While Abigail wishes to purchase an Atlas of the world, Dyer is more preoccupied with what’s in front of him, the farmland, and hoping to rebuild a family.
Finney (Christopher Abbot) and Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) are new arrivals to the remote village which was built from scratch by production designer Jean-Vincent Puzos. Nestled in a valley between mountains lined with massive oak trees, filming took place in the Romanian Carpathian Mountain range to fill in for New York’s Catskill Mountains. The sets look authentic and I could feel the cold seeping through each room. The new couple’s home and farm are large, including the luxury of a hired farmhand to complete the majority of their work.
Curious to meet their new neighbors, Tallie greets Abigail on her tiny porch and is invited inside. The two have chemistry from the start and their intimate conversation is halted when Dyer walks into the room. He politely offers the unexpected guest to stay longer but she declines and heads back home, a relatively short ride down the road.
As the women spend time together, they gradually develop a romantic relationship. Most of the initial courting is subtle with not much onscreen affection. In bed, Abigail refuses her husband’s advances, not wanting a child and not feeling physically attracted to him. At times they’re more like close friends than husband and wife.
In one of the best scenes, Finney and Tallie host Dyer and Abigail for dinner. Dyer seems intimidated or slightly resentful by his neighbors’ wealth and their ability to hire a farmhand. It appears the more privileged couple used to have a connection that’s been replaced with hard glares and loaded exchanges.
Despite the film’s short running time and small cast, the approach feels expansive. Changing seasons are impressively captured during the winter and summer settings. During a relentless blizzard, the hardships of rural life trudge on and in a time before antibiotics, unseen illnesses are just as treacherous. Over time, the snow-covered landscapes melt revealing large green forests coloring the Spring sky.
The four actors naturally sink into their roles but Waterston is the heart of the film. She’s always a solid actor but here she channels a range of emotions that’s quite moving. While the women’s affair is celebrated there’s no outright disdain for Dyer, but Finney is a cruel man. He believes in the Old Testament which isn’t known for being kind and forgiving.
Daniel Blumberg’s score is unexpected for a pre-Civil War period setting. Using mainly a solo saxophone he plays quiet melodic notes and the horn screeches effectively alongside dramatic moments. Besides the unique composition, every detail feels consistent with the period’s setting.
For her second film, Mona Fastvold seems like a seasoned veteran. Her camera angles resemble Terrence Malick, especially his recent “A Hidden Life.” In that film, daily life on a farm is methodically explored while its villagers are being thrust into a World War.
“The World to Come’s” screenplay was adapted by the story’s original author Jim Shepard who co-wrote with Ron Hansen. While I have yet to read the story, Hansen wrote “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” one of my favorite Westerns. Affleck also co-starred in that film and the writing here is similarly a mix of genuine and poetic dialogue. While there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking for the genre, it’s a worthy addition to the American frontier narrative.
“The World to Come” recently premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival
