Leave No Trace (2018)

“I just need to know I’m doing the right thing.” Like the trucker, we watch and wonder what it is as Granik masterfully carves a subtle trail through the beautiful (see the opening scenes) and brutal (see post-truck ride) PNW woods and the even more complex wilderness of trauma, parent-child relationships, and the search for home. Perfectly, naturally paced and performed, with music at just the right moments (see the cabin wait; around the campfire). I was hoping for a different ending though.

8

Hell or High Water (2016)

A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas. (IMDb)

Aesthetically excellent, with its dusty, aching landscapes smoothly shot, rich soundtrack (a tense piano and strings theme alternates with melancholy folk tunes), charming small-town Texas sets, and Chris Pine with windswept hair. The story feels a little light in comparison (it would have been better to focus more on the compelling brothers and less on the at-times awkward cop duo) but it builds well and comes to a riveting climax (though the denouement leaves something to be desired).

7.5/10 (Really Good)