(***1/2)
She can’t unsee what she’s seen. She’s only 8 years old!
Witnessing a crime is a tough position to be in. That skewed psycho-emotional state gives this family drama heart-wrenching, nail-biting and unsettling moments that just won’t quit.
Writer/director Beth de Araújo has a keen ability to create a unique premise rarely seen in film before. Yes the notion of a lead character haphazardly witnessing a violent incident is age-old, most iconically so in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Rear Window. Yes, there are structural similarities. The twist here is that the crime is a violent rape and the witness isn’t an adult. That gives this film an edge. Meticulously, de Araújo keeps the viewer in that dazed headspace as she intuitively directs and coordinates all the integral elements: characters, sets, locations, atmosphere, relationships, circumstances and a dark, bleak aftermath looking for light.
It’s a usual San Francisco morning for Damien (Channing Tatum of Magic Mike) and his Asian American daughter Josephine (Mason Reeves). They exercise, chat and go for a jog in Golden Gate Park. This time she gets ahead of him and runs down a trail he misses. She finds herself on a hill overlooking a restroom cottage. Screams are heard. A man (Philip Ettinger) and a woman (Syra McCarthy) are in a struggle. He is violent toward her as he rapes her. Something the woman shouldn’t have to endure. Something a child should never see. But she does. And she may be called to testify in a criminal investigation.
What happens for the next 114 minutes is a regurgitation of this incident and how it affects Josephine, her dad and mom Claire (Gemma Chan, Crazy Rich Asians). But mostly Josephine. At her age she can’t digest what she’s seen. Her behavior regresses from happy-go-lucky and inquisitive to bursts of sadness, fear and anger. It’s tragic. The script and director don’t sugarcoat the chain reaction. Rape is a gruesome crime. But in this case, the narrative is following a witness’s journey to recovery and not that of the victim.
Everything on view seems well thought out by de Araújo. Josephine’s pain doesn’t go away and is manifested in her use of adult language, school fights, obsessive behavior and emotional turmoil. It’s like the script listened to child psychologists and added all the symptoms a kid would have after observing something brutal. Adding to the feeling of angst, uncertainty and bewilderment are the loving parents who, try as they may to help her heal, are at a loss. So much seems real, that many audience members will wonder if this storyline is based on a real-life event. It is. A similar incident happened to the filmmaker.
This is an astute, emotionally involving and unsettling crime/drama/thriller, with a heavy emphasis on disrupted family dynamics. Reeves, a child who has never acted before, seems quite adept at making the witness/survivor seem authentic in her constant distress. Credit de Araújo for masterfully guiding the novice actor. But kudos to Reeves for embodying all the script could imagine. All the emotions the kid is feeling are on her face, in her actions and the way she speaks. She’s wounded and looking for answers. Josephine to mom: “Were you ever raped?”
The screenplay also sensitively paints a portrait of two formerly confident parents who are now out of their comfort zone, grasping for remedies and totally confounded. Tatum, as the dad who was once well in charge and now lost, frustrated and angry, embodies all the traits of an imperfect man trying to cope. Physically fit and strong-willed but mentally and emotionally inept for what lies ahead. This is one of the most nuanced characters Tatum has ever played. The steadiness that Chan brings as Claire is an anchor to the other two actors, the other two characters. Tight ensemble acting by all, especially supporting actors Ettinger and McCarthy, is restrained or as volatile as it should be.
The San Francisco setting, with its winding streets, Victorian houses and, of course, Golden Gate Park, is a refreshing location. A city with a more hometown feel than New York or L.A. The clothes San Franciscans wear tend to be more North Face and Patagonia than those worn in NYC, and that’s something costume designers Bridget Bruce and Jillian Johns understand. The sunshine, clouds and interior lighting play into the visuals better because cinematographer Greta Zozula captures that very odd S.F. juxtaposition between sunny days and foggy ones. The action of the crime, the mood of the indoor scenes and the investigation that leads to courtroom drama are pulled together in the most attention-keeping ways. Nothing seems out of place, including the timing of each scene (editors Anisha Acharya, Nico Leunen, Kyle Reiter). Strong, dissonant string music at the film’s end churns as if it’s trying to throw off a nightmare (composer Miles Ross).
Adult viewers should expect to feel anxious and disturbed for the duration. The subject matter is heavy in itself. What makes it more intense is that a child is involved. Someone who can’t speak for herself, understand her condition or know how this trauma will affect her for the rest of her life. That brings up a touchy question: How will playing this kind of role affect Reeves for the rest of her life? Even assuming that she’s a smart urban kid who’s seen a lot on the streets of San Francisco and the internet, the casting of a child is questionable.
Do responsible parents make an extremely disturbing drama a part of their kid’s life? How will acting in this role shade Reeves’s being, relationships and notions about sex, violence and crimes against women? It’s a troubling thought. Some viewers will wonder if they would ever let their kids do what Reeves’s parents did. It’s a debate.
This is a riveting family drama about a kid placed in a peculiar situation by providence. She can’t forget what happened. And neither can the other witnesses. The audience.
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Award and Audience Award: Dramatic Sundance Film Festival 2026
Photos courtesy of the Sundance Film Institute and by Greta Zozula.
For more information about the Sundance Film Festival go to: https://festival.sundance.org
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.