Appalachian Dog

Writing reviews is hard for me because I don't want to affect the viewer's spontaneous enjoyment of a movie unfolding itself unhindered by opinions, spoilers, and general TMI...and so I'm mindful of that. I recommend this movie. It's one of my favorite indies. Importantly, there is no distraction by the lack of a big budget. For that, I commend the production team and cast. Appalachian Dog explores relationships and sexuality through the story of a perfectly squirrelly man, home from a difficult stint at war, and his passively-overbearing wife. They are young and in love/ and in lust/ and in like, and forging their way with/ and around/ and through their circle of closest people. If you own clutching pearls, don't assume this film isn't for you. You are exactly who stands to gain the most.

I watched Appalachian Dog over the weekend after purchasing it on Amazon Prime, and I was thoroughly impressed. Not only were the performances outstanding, but the film was beautifully shot and edited. Colin Henning-director, writer, and star of the film-masterfully captures the raw emotions of characters struggling to adjust to life in a post-war world.

Georgia Morgan, Hayleigh Hart Franklin, and Brooke Elizabeth round out the principal cast, each delivering a standout performance. Excited to see what's next from the rising production company, C. H. Squared Films!

The film is also available on several streaming platforms, including Tubi (which is free)!

Appalachian Dog is a gripping and emotionally charged portrayal of reintegration after the war, set against the starkly ethereal but desolate scenery of Appalachia in 1946. The movie tracks the fortunes of Teddy Henry, a veteran of World War II, and his wife Marion, as they try to come to terms with their lives after trauma, displacement, and emotional dislocation. What distinguishes this movie is less its narrative and more the way it employs setting, sound, and muted character interaction to explore the oftentimes painful process of reconstituting normalcy after severe personal and communal dislocation.

Teddy's return from war is not as victor, but as vulnerability-his emotional wounds manifest as shakes that manifest not only on his physical body, but also symbolically impact his relationship with Marion. The two were once a seamless team working as tailor and seamstress, but their bond has been ruptured, both literally and symbolically, by Teddy's trauma. The disruption of their work mirrors the rift in their marriage, and this is where the film truly shines-its ability to illustrate, rather than spell out, exactly how irreparably war can mark even the deepest and most intrinsic aspects of a person's life.

Marion's unyielding resilience is another critical area of attention of the film. As Teddy is no longer available to assist them in running their tailoring business, Marion turns to their neighbors for help. What begins as an act of pragmatism becomes increasingly entangled, as attachments are formed, boundaries are crossed, and secrets are disclosed. These episodes are not played melodramatically with obvious conflict but seethe just beneath the surface, and a gentle tension builds slowly over the course of the movie. The emotional landscape is as harsh and unpredictable as the landscape of Appalachia, once more an echo of the psychological turbulence of the characters.

The most obvious stylistic choice is the absence of the traditional musical score in the movie. What fills the soundtrack is the ambient sound of the place-wind rustling through leaves, distant animal calls, and the creak of wooden floorboards. This option adds a disconcerting layer of realism and depth, making the setting almost akin to a living, breathing character. It draws the viewer in towards the emotional weight of the story and roots the drama in a sense like real, palpable reality.

The acting is another strong point. The lead actors bring depth and nuance to their roles, capturing the complex mixture of hope, bitterness, longing, and confusion that all too frequently typifies life after the war. Teddy's inner turmoil is suggested as much by his behavior as by dialogue, and Marion's despair and toughness are measured in a performance that never falls into cliche. The chemistry between them is palpable even when they are far apart, and it is this contained yet dynamic acting that makes them so deeply affecting.

Also adding to the richness of the film is a subtle, but challenging, examination of queer identity. Never in the forefront, these undertones provide a new level of complexity to the themes of alienation and self-discovery. The film avoids sensationalizing, instead allowing these themes to develop naturally and with respect within the larger framework of identity, love, and survival.

Ultimately, Appalachian Dog is a superbly controlled and affecting drama. It transcends the typical "homecoming" movie in that it showcases how the experience of coming back from war impacts not only the warrior, but everyone around him. It's a meditation on change-forced and self-imposed-and the precarious hope that comes with trying to rebuild what's been lost. With its heavy atmosphere, real performances, and understated narrative, this is a strong and valuable addition to the canon of post-war cinema.

Appalachian Dog - a film about trying to get back to a life of normalcy after experiencing a life-changing event and finding out that rejecting your newly found desires and self-discoveries are harder to ignore than expected. Reality often hits the hardest to those who reject it the longest and in this film that point is portrayed quite poetically - using sewing and threads as an allegory to represent the idea of trying to mend a relationship that's slowly ripping apart. These attempts, however, go against the nature of our characters and we are taken on an emotional journey as we see the characters struggling to face each other as they try to keep everything from ripping apart like a piece of fabric that's been stretched beyond its capacity. Of course, nothing goes according to plan as the cloth gets torn apart just as the truth starts slipping out and the true feelings of our characters towards each other are revealed. However, that might not be as bad of an ending as you might think, with the characters each accepting the other for who they truly are and that even though they are torn, they can still exist as two pieces cut from the same fabric.

To start off, I would like to appreciate and applaud the cinematography of this film. The breathtaking stills, the well thought out framing of each scene and the abstract shots which very well convey the feeling that needs to be. The shots of the stunning landscape of the Appalachian hills transport you right to the film's location and instantly make you feel warm and cozy feeling like nothing else. The lighting/ color grading in each shot was also very relaxing on the eyes and not at all straining or exhausting to look at. My one critique, however, would be directed towards the sound design. There were multiple shots in the film where it was more than obvious that the dialogue had been dubbed over as the audio didn't seem to exactly match the actors' lip movements and sounded a bit off compared to the other scenes surrounding it. The actors also deserve recognition for their amazing work, being able to properly convey every emotion to near perfection, I personally was very touched by the facial expressions and acting of nearly every cast member. Clearly a truly talented cast had been chosen for this very special film. Overall, the film was extremely beautifully shot and well-made.

Finally, to end things off, I felt as though the setting chosen for this kind of sexual exploration and self-discovery film was quite unique. Using a man's time spent in war surrounded by sexually frustrated men as a way to explain his true feelings coming out and how he managed to survive without his wife all those 5 years and same for the wife who was going through a similar situation but instead surrounded by women is genuinely one of the more unique takes I've seen in this genre. This film was more of a self-discovery film than a romance and could easily pass as a documentary or biopic of sorts seeing as how realistic and well-written it was. I, myself am not the biggest fan of romance films so this film was quite a pleasant surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, seeing the quarrel between each of the cast members and how they try their best to hide the truth and their true feelings from one another as a desperate attempt to bring things back to normal as they were before the war. And as it happens in real life, things don't remain hidden forever and reality often makes its way through, revealing each person for who they truly are and what they feel and despite all that our husband and wife come to terms with their true nature and accept the fact that although there is no thread that can stitch them together, they will always be a part of the same cloth and that there is beauty in that.

On first impression, the thing that stood out most from this period drama is its picturesque cinematography. The gorgeous Appalachian nature is captured beautifully, transporting you to the world of the film immediately. It's not just visual, the production team does well at capturing the ambience of the vista through well thought out sound mixing. With that, it's easy to immerse yourself in the post-war rural setting, where things are quiet on the outside, but really turbulent on the inside.

The plot revolves around Marion and Teddy Henry, a newly reunited seamstress couple following the end of World War II. What should have been a happy reunion quickly shows the strain in the marriage instead. A crippling post-war PTSD makes things worse, as is the pile of lies that build the illusion of a happy marriage. Amid it all, the Henrys constantly try to do right by each other - but circumstances and the lack of proper communications keep them further and further away. Can this young couple overcome this?

That is the gist of the 90 minute feature film.

The screenplay truly packs on the melodrama: the Henrys and their surrounding characters go through one thing after another relentlessly. You can tell that these courteous neighbors harbor untold resentments, things that slowly unfold as time passes. There are times when things feel a bit repetitive, like you wish they would just sit down and really come clean about their grievances. You can clearly feel the middle of the story stretch, but then perhaps slice-of-life is the goal here.

Surprisingly, the story is best when it focuses on the many women storylines in the film - kudos to director and actor Colin Henning for surrounding himself with complex women figures for this. They are meant to be the B-plots, but the terrific performances sell them, especially the characters of Peggie and Cate.

Gorgeously shot and thought provoking, Appalachian Dog might occasionally get bogged down by sappy melodrama, but it still has plenty of bite thanks to its vivid characters.