It may only be three years old but Sweet Virginia already feels like an underrated gem that not enough people have checked out. With a VOD release back in November 2017, it’s one that was easy to miss even with the good word of mouth off it’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere earlier in the year. It’s the second feature film for Jamie M. Dagg and with what he was able to achieve with this indie, he’s a name you should definitely keep an eye out for.
The film is set around two characters, really. One is Jon Bernthal, who plays Sam, a former bull rider who now manages a motel named, you guessed it, ‘Sweet Virginia.’ Now, it’s no secret that I’m a huge Bernthal guy and his performance in this film is why I’m such a fan. The little things Bernthal does in character makes his story so engrossing. Even if he doesn’t always make the right choices, you feel like he wants to.
The other character highlighted is Elwood, played by Christopher Abbott. I knew Abbott mainly from Girls, so his performance as the mysterious Elwood blew me away. Every scene he is in, there is this incredible tension. The guy is like a swirling hurricane that could hit at any second. Even the scenes he shares with Bernthal where we see Elwood at his most reserved, there is still something off about him. I can’t say enough about Abbott’s performance here. He alone is worth the price of admission.
Aside from the two leads, there is a solid supporting cast led by Imogen Poots and Rosemarie DeWitt. All four are tied by an awful crime, even if all of them do not realize it…with Elwood possibly at the center of it all. At a brisk 95 minutes, this crime noir absolutely flies by, leading to a pulse pounding climax!
Sweet Virginia is currently streaming on Netflix!
John Mosley is the independent wrestling and TV aficionado of the SoBros Network. He graduated from ETSU with a degree in Radio, TV and Film along with a minor in Film Studies. Since graduating he’s done pretty much nothing but watch, film, edit or commentate for local wrestling promotions and is the current color commentator for Resolute Wrestling. #Preds #Titans #DefendOrVacateConor
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