Sundance 2022

“Palm Trees and Power Lines” is one of the most uncomfortable films I’ve watched in quite a while. Lea (Lily McInerny) plays a 17 y/o who starts dating a man twice her age. 34 y/o Tom (Jonathan Tucker) happens across Lea at a diner one night and manages to convince her to let him drive her home. Tom is unquestionably creepy in his pursuit of Lea. Lea likely knows this subconsciously as she keeps her relationship secret from her mother (Gretchen Mol) and her friends. As Lea finds herself increasingly fractured from her friends and mother, she gets sucked deeper and deeper into dependency on Tom. This film had me yelling at my television at times. McInerny is excellent as Lea, so much so that I was convinced I could talk some sense into her. As a father of a young daughter, I found this to be an utterly horrifying watch with an ending that left me gob smacked. I hesitate to recommend this because of its bleak outlook and the requisite trigger warnings needed. However, that finale has not escaped my mind since I finished watching it. It’s a film guaranteed to elicit an emotional reaction, and I suggest checking it out. 

— 4 / 5 ⭐