Trey Edward Shults' feature film debut is a competently crafted drama that's brought to life out of almost nothing. It very much feels like a homemade video made during a family gathering, and the casual set of events that unfold in the movie only add more authenticity to it.
Krisha tells the story of its titular character, an elderly woman with a troubled history who returns to her family on Thanksgiving as a reformed lady after being estranged from them for many years. But demons from her past threaten to ruin the family reunion and her own self-improved image.
Written, directed & edited by Trey Edward Shults, Krisha instils a sense of foreboding from its very first frame and while it takes plenty of time to set up the whole premise, there is something sinister brewing beneath the surface at all times, and Shults is able to keep that aura alive throughout the runtime.
There are plenty of long takes here, capturing casual conversations & stuff that one would expect in a social gathering yet each scene brims with a feeling that something could go wrong anytime. Performances are no slouch as Krisha Fairchild plays the eponymous old lady brilliantly and is nicely supported by others.
On an overall scale, Krisha is well-crafted & firmly told but Shults takes a tad too long to switch to next gear and much of the earlier excitement fizzles away by the time earlier wounds open again. It's a good effort for a first feature and bit experimental as well but Krisha as a whole fails to leave a memorable impression. Worth a shot anyway.
Krisha tells the story of its titular character, an elderly woman with a troubled history who returns to her family on Thanksgiving as a reformed lady after being estranged from them for many years. But demons from her past threaten to ruin the family reunion and her own self-improved image.
Written, directed & edited by Trey Edward Shults, Krisha instils a sense of foreboding from its very first frame and while it takes plenty of time to set up the whole premise, there is something sinister brewing beneath the surface at all times, and Shults is able to keep that aura alive throughout the runtime.
There are plenty of long takes here, capturing casual conversations & stuff that one would expect in a social gathering yet each scene brims with a feeling that something could go wrong anytime. Performances are no slouch as Krisha Fairchild plays the eponymous old lady brilliantly and is nicely supported by others.
On an overall scale, Krisha is well-crafted & firmly told but Shults takes a tad too long to switch to next gear and much of the earlier excitement fizzles away by the time earlier wounds open again. It's a good effort for a first feature and bit experimental as well but Krisha as a whole fails to leave a memorable impression. Worth a shot anyway.