Two women who grew up together discover they have drifted apart when they retreat to a lake house together.Two women who grew up together discover they have drifted apart when they retreat to a lake house together.Two women who grew up together discover they have drifted apart when they retreat to a lake house together.
- Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations
- Warlock
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest #1
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest #4
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest #6
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest #7
- (uncredited)
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- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThroughout the film Virginia (Katherine Waterston) is seen reading books by Ike Zimmerman. This is the fictional author played by Jonathan Pryce in director/writer Alex Ross Perry's previous film Listen Up Philip.
- Quotes
Catherine: [to Rich] You fucking animal. You unrepentant piece of shit. You click your tongue and you revel in the affairs of others. You are worthless. You don't know anything about me. You show up to fuck my best friend, and you pry into the lives of others to conceal how worthless and boring your own life is. I don't deserve this. I just want to be left alone. I want to be left alone with the few people who are left in this world who are decent.
[Catherine glances briefly at Ginny before reverting back to Rich]
Catherine: You are weak and greedy and selfish, and you are the root of every problem. You are why people betray one another. You are why there is nowhere safe or happy anymore. You are why depression exists. You are why there is no escape from indecency and gossip and lies. You, Rich, you are why my father had to die. Because he couldn't live in a world like *this.*
- ConnectionsReferences Carnival of Souls (1962)
Writer/director Alex Ross Perry follows up his critically acclaimed LISTEN UP PHILIP with a glimpse into the complexities of friendship between two women who seem mostly clueless to both their world of privilege, and their not-so-subtle narcissism. Both Catherine and Virginia have experienced personal tragedies at different times, and their friendship has basically crumbled due to the responses of each woman towards the other.
A startling opening scene serves up a very emotional Elisabeth Moss (Catherine) as she and her boyfriend (Kentucker Audley) argue their way through an ugly break-up due to his infidelity on the heels of the suicide of Catherine's dad and mentor. The rest of the movie covers the week (each day marked by a scripted placard) that Catherine spends with her best friend at Virginia's (Katherine Waterston, Sam's daughter) family lake house. Flashbacks cover the previous year's visit under much different circumstances, but it's the intimate and often quite uncomfortable moments between the two women that provides the crux of the film.
Director Perry focuses a great deal of attention on the faces of Catherine and Virginia – many of these are extreme close-ups that leave thoughts unspoken, yet quite clear to the viewer. There are elements of 1970's schlock horror films but not in a bad way. The music, atmosphere and camera angles have a certain retro feel, but the tension between the two friends is palpable and timeless.
Perry's script and the performances of Moss and Waterston tap into that nasty bit of human nature that makes us believe our problems are much worse than anyone else's. Building on that, the animosity felt when our friends aren't "there for us" in times of trauma, can lead to a dangerous slope that affects judgment and mental stability. Watching Catherine and Virginia go at it has elements of truth and dread.
Patrick Fugit appears in a few scenes as Virginia's neighbor, and his sole purpose seems to be to torment Catherine – at least that's how she sees it. The juxtaposition of the two visits (separated by one year) makes for some very interesting character observations, and helps us understand the delusions and bitterness. It's an interesting and stylish little film that doesn't so much entertain as spur introspection.
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- Aug 25, 2015
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $200,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $91,218
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,360
- Aug 30, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $95,183
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1