For his feature directorial debut, Michael Shannon adapts a play by Brett Neveu (who also wrote the screenplay) about a married couple shell-shocked in the aftermath of a school shooting, in which their son killed three classmates. Janice (Judy Greer) shuffles through their small town in a haze (the camerawork emphasizes blurry backgrounds), while Ron (Alexander Skarsgard) throws himself into a prayer group at a new church. Their separate pastors (Steve Calhan and Tracy Letts), meanwhile, engage in an unseemly competition to host a meeting with Janice and the mothers of the murdered kids. At its best, Eric LaRue interrogates the rush to healing and forgiveness that can sometimes follow tragedy in Christian communities. Greer, in a quietly commanding performance, argues for the virtues of sitting with the pain, while Skarsgard—almost unrecognizable as a dorky Midwesterner—finds enough notes of conviction to keep Ron from becoming a caricature. Then Nation Henrikson shows up as their son, Eric, in a long, penultimate scene that meanders a bit and betrays the theatrical stage material, yet works as a stunning showcase for his simmering talent. Here’s hoping he has bigger roles ahead.
(3/31/2025)
