Take Me to the River

Take Me to the River is a riveting drama directed by Matt Sobel that creatively explores the complexities of family secrets, adolescent sexuality, and reconciling with a disturbing past. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, brings together a talented cast that includes Logan Miller, Robin Weigert and Josh Hamilton.

The movie centers around a California teenager named Ryder (played by Logan Miller), who has recently come out as gay to his syncopated artist parents, Cindy and Don (Robin Weigert and Richard Schiff). Ryder is an expressive, confident, and vibrant character, boldly wearing bright red short shorts to hit the point home. However, his liberal parents advise him to keep his sexuality a secret while attending their traditional midwestern family reunion in Nebraska to evade potential tension and conflict.

Ignoring his parents' advice, Ryder decks out in flamboyant outfits, creating an awkward tension within the reunion. The high-tension scenario is ignited when nine-year-old Molly (played by Ursula Parker) chooses Ryder to accompany her to a barn house away from the rest of the family. After Molly returns from the barn upset, the family is thrown into a whirlpool of confusion, anguish, and anger, suspecting Ryder of some obscure wrongdoing that the movie artfully leaves unexplained.

Logan Miller convincingly plays the part of the misunderstood and wrongly accused Ryder, the protagonist stuck in the labyrinth of a familial dilemma. Robin Weigert delivers an equally magnificent performance as his eccentric mother. Josh Hamilton, too, excellently plays the role of Keith, Molly's intense and intimidating father whose skepticism and condemnation of Ryder fuels the underlying tension.

Although the setting is a sunny, idyllic Nebraskan farm with vast lands, meandering rivers, and bountiful cornfields, there's an abiding sense of uneasiness throughout the narrative. Sobel does an exceptional job of making a picturesque midwestern family reunion at first look, transform into a visible landscape for dark, underhanded secrets. Sobel beautifully uses the Nebraskan landscape, complete with river shots and cornfield vistas, to create a cinematographic dichotomy between the serene scenery and the tumultuous narrative.

As a secret is revealed by Molly and clouded judgments of the family seems to get the best of the situation, the movie grows into a psychological drama. Ryder interrogates his own understanding of himself and his sexuality while dealing with his relatives' outlooks, latent snubs, and undisguised disgust. Extended family relations suddenly become a battleground. It's a remarkable exploration of the contrast between rural and urban, old-school and modern, and the imposed norms of 'acceptable' sexuality.

Stylish and audacious, Take Me to the River cleverly keeps its audience engrossed with a sense of mystery about the characters and their pasts, allowing the movie to reveal secrets little by little. The film also surprises viewers with its nuanced exploration of the contradictions within individual characters.

The movie is structured as more of a creeping thriller than a traditional family drama, making it an engrossing film. The narrative is coated with an eerie suspense that keeps the viewers constantly hooked, awaiting the unveil of the true nature of the characters and the resolution of the conflict at hand. Yet, it also delicately deals with themes of identity, adolescence, acceptance, and the harsh yet real human tendency to pass judgments.

Matt Sobel's debut as a film director with the compelling drama, Take Me to the River, truly marks him as a brilliant observer of human behavior and an expert at creating tension, mystery, and intrigue even within simple narrative structures. The contrast established between the bold Californian liberalism and the rigid Nebraskan conservatism is expertly shown and heartbreakingly realistic. The flawless performances by the actors, coupled with the captivating storytelling, make this film a must-watch.

Overall, Take Me to the River is an intense drama that brilliantly portrays sensitivity surrounding coming-of-age trials, the revelation of unsettling family secrets, and the struggle to remain true to oneself in the midst of judgment and misunderstanding. With an unsettling ambiance and boundless tension, the film skillfully explores the consequences of bias and conservatism, making it a riveting and thought-provoking experience.