Acidman

Started off ok , then turned into a very slow paced tragedy ! With a very awkward vibe throughout.

We never get to see why the dad was always going into stares , depersonalising- de realising etc . Found it odd , uncomfortable, hated the dog scene , which i found pointless , animal death will always kill a film , why ? Because there are too many animal lovers out here that just do not tolerate it , no matter what it gives to the scene - story line , in this instance gave nothing . He didnt even seem bothered about it .

We also never got to see what the whole sc fi was about ??? Soooo long winded , dissatisfying and strange !

I mean was he mad , did he have psychosis ?

Dementia ? Gah ... frustrating .

2 star for the dog only.

Prior to fine rom-com "Meet Cute" Alex Lehmann directed the intimate, weighty yet sluggish dramas "Blue Jay", "Paddleton" & "Acidman". In the latter 20-something Dianna Agron (Alicia Vikander-esque) visits a remote, craggy, forested Oregon coast to try connecting with her estranged, reclusive & possibly mentally ill dad Thomas Haden Church (likeable as ever) who lives alone with his dog 'communicating' with UFOs. Plot-wise Lehmann & Chris Dowling's script is disappointingly thin, but as a dual character study it's rich enough (helped by the great two central performances (especially Agron)) - whether that's enough to entertain most tho is debatable.

I have liked both main actors for a number of years, Dianna Agron when she had a regular role on the TV series "Glee". She always seemed to be a realistic, authentic actor and she is here. And Church since I saw him in "Sideways", wreaking havoc in the California wine country. Incidentally, each of them is listed among the producers for this movie.

It begins with Agron as Maggie showing up, after a very long trip, to a dilapidated home in a heavily wooded area (filmed in Oregon), driving down a narrow, dirt road. After a few attempts at the front door and getting no response she starts to back up her car. Looking down at her phone for signal she bumps something, looking back it is a man and a shopping cart of his items. She greets him with "Hi, Dad."

Thomas Haden Church is her dad, Loyd. They are very familiar with each other, mutual respect but no warmth, no hugs. We immediately wonder what the story is. This small movie is about their stories.

Loyd is an engineer living a secluded live, we get no hint of how his career went. He is now obsessed with what he thinks are his signal contacts with alien spacecraft. Maggie has arrived unannounced, mainly because Loyd has made it hard for anyone to find him or contact him. But in flashbacks we see the two of them had a very happy and engaging life together as she grew up. And he still had her hand-drawn and colored "Slam Dunk Tuesday" book from her childhood.

I really like this movie, it is all about relationships and how we deal with our inner conflicts. Agron and Church are both at the top of their acting games in this movie. I enjoyed it as a good story, but enjoyed it even more for the two actors.

It was also nice seeing scenes of the gorgeous, rocky Oregon coast. At home, streaming on Amazon Prime.

All Of This: Minimal, Simple, Complex, True, Alienated, Alien, Tender, Low Key, Gentle, Lost, Found, Family, Daughter - Father, Warm, Fragmented, Beautiful, Alone, Search, Spacious, Real, American, Indie, Nature, Natural, Heartfelt, Warm, Caring, Strange, Poignant, Loss, Regret, Connect, Bond, Nevertheless, Despite It All, Quest, Minimal, Simple, Complex, True, Alienated, Alien, Tender, Low Key, Gentle, Lost, Found, Family, Daughter - Father, Warm, Fragmented, Beautiful, Alone, Search, Spacious, Real, American, Indie, Nature, Natural, Heartfelt, Warm, Caring, Strange, Poignant, Loss, Regret, Connect, Bond, Nevertheless, Despite It All, Quest. Love. Love. Love.

Acidman is a wonderful indie Drama/Sci-fi film that has excellent performances from the two lead actors. From the first scene with them together I could see their acting talent in the way they were expressing their character's facial expression's and their body language.

Hayden-Church's character has left end-stage American Capitalism behind where he was an engineer and moved into the damp Oregon wilderness to be alone living in a trailer with his dog Migo while making experimental electronic music and going on night missions to watch UFO's appear in the sky above a nearby resevoir. His daughter has come to check on his well being from back east because she is worried about his well being, and is also dealing with some issues of her own she is reluctant to share with her father. Their interactions look and feel so genuine, the writing of the script is really tight It didn't drag at all with unnecessary plot twists, and the UFO interactions shown in the movie make me believe whoever was involved in hashing out that part of the story had real life experience with the phenomenon. This is a great movie for people 16 and up that enjoy indie flicks.