I was really looking forward to this, purely based off on vibes. I didn't have any prior knowledge about it. The lighting's off; it looked like there was a filter on the entire time. Personally, I would have preferred it to have a more natural look because the filter didn't really enhance anything. I just started watching 'Siren' and Gil Birmingham plays a cop there too, which was a very similar role, identical really.
The story here is pretty intriguing, though it has no mystery element making it feel predictable. From the title alone, I thought it'd be similar to 'Where the Crawdads Sing,' but the similarity only lies in the setting. It reminds me somewhat of 'Stockholm, Pennsylvania' (2015) with Saoirse Ronan, although I find the story better here, but not the movie itself. It begins similarly, with a girl who was kidnapped, but her father never hurt or abused her, so she's distraught when he's portrayed as a monster. Difference is here we time jump decades later, Her past still affects her as she now has her own family and life and stuff.
The movie, in my opinion, is average; nothing exceptional, making it quite forgettable. I wasn't too invested in the characters. It's a slow-paced psychological thriller, not too emotionally intense, and the high points didn't quite hit their mark. The third act was probably always going to be challenging to execute. I couldn't think of a more natural ending for the story so it didn't bother me too much. I think it was intentionally kept simple and straightforward, because it had the potential to be much darker and more intricate.
