Every single performance is fantastic and rings with an authenticity, but it’s LaBeouf who shines the brightest. Not only does he take a huge risk in baring his soul and sharing his family’s troubled past, but he also totally transforms and disappears into the role of his father — which is one of the best and most bizarre casting decisions of the year (and possibly of all-time). LaBeouf’s portrayal is fierce, funny, complex, sincere, and zany in the best possible way, and it makes for one of the year’s most powerful performances. Noah Jupe, Otis’ younger counterpart, is astounding, and he serves as the emotional heart of the movie. Lucas Hedges, Otis’ older counterpart, dials in the solid performance you’d expect, but it took a bit of time before we could buy into him as a legitimate counterpart to Jupe (or LeBeouf). FKA Twigs (in her feature debut) does a lot to radiate a presence (and does so mostly without the aid of dialogue), but her character fell more on the problematic end for us.

The story is pretty straightforward, but (as we mentioned above) the editing really helps to enhance the narrative at every turn, turning it into a roiling jumble of emotion and memory. The main focus is on the father and son dynamic, but it veers into a relatively unnecessary sub-plot between a young prostitute (FKA Twigs), who lives in Otis’ motel. Although it provides a gentle reprieve from the harrowing and rocky father/son relationship, lending itself to a few sweetly tender moments, it detracted a bit from the story at large, and kind of came across like filler to pad the film out to 90 minutes. Some of the specifics of James’ character (like his rodeo clown past and relationship with a chicken) aren’t fully developed or apparent, so when certain things are introduced or discussed, it can be a bit confusing — albeit easy to glean in context. Har’el’s direction gives the film a dreamy atmosphere and a sense of cohesion. Though she leans into the handheld-documentary style a bit too heavily at times, she finds solid footing within the poetic and concludes the journey with a soft symbolism that resonates with a punch.