Director: Julia Hart
Starring: Rachel Brosnahan, Arinzé Kene, Marsha Stephanie Blake
Running Time: 120 minutes
Synopsis: It's the 1970s, and housewife Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) is aware her husband Eddie (Bill Heck) is a criminal. Unable to have children, Jean is surprised when Eddie shows up one day with an infant to claim as their own. She names the baby Harry. Soon thereafter, Eddie mysteriously disappears, and his associates show up to hustle Jean and Harry to safety. Unsure what is going on, Jean evacuates her home in a hurry, with Eddie's associate Cal (Arinzé Kene) her only companion.
What Works Well: Director Julia Hart and her co-writer Jordan Horowitz focus this slow-burning gangland drama on the woman consigned to the margins, and uncover turmoil on the storm's edge. Jean's journey from dependent wife to taking charge is a study in focused transition, and Rachel Brosnahan (who also co-produced) delivers a resonant performance packed with evolving self-awareness. The attention to detail and intentional fog of knowledge achieve an engrossing level of disorienting suspense, matched by bleak brown-dominant era aesthetics. Bursts of sudden violence are accompanied by surprises from the past, introduced by the second act arrival of Teri (Marsha Stephanie Blake), her son Paul, and father Art (Frankie Faison).
What Does Not Work As Well: The first half requires patient investment in Jean's character, and tolerance of baby Harry's constant crying and fussing. It's real, but also trying.
Conclusion: An unconventional and gripping sideview of crime's collateral damage.
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