Chestnut

Recent college graduate Annie James (Natalia Dyer) is staying in Philadelphia for the summer before going to New York in September for a job. She feels aimless as she transitions from school to work life. She gets into a lesbian relationship with Tyler (Rachel Keller), but she is also flirting with Danny (Danny Ramirez).

This is one of those low budget indies. It is writer/director Jac Cron's theatrical debut. Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things is the big draw. I'm not sure if she is stretching that far. Basically, this is Nancy Wheeler after college if she dabbles a little recently. Rachel Keller from Legion delivers an edgier performance. By the end, I do feel the sense of those lost days of youth. Before then, this film is a bit lost in a bar.

The movie is interesting, but never fully realizes it's potential. It's a slow burn, slice of life movie. There are no big turns or dramatic scenes. We never really get to know any of the characters, except for the main character Annie, and even that only to a degree. If you can accept that you are in for a mood piece, more than a romantic character drama, you can have a nice evening with this movie.

Luckily, the movie has Natalia Dyer in the lead role and she really makes the movie work as much as it does. You know you're watching a really good actor, when they can convey everything worth knowing about the character, without the script giving them much opportunity. I really loved her subtle performance, she really made me feel like she is the only character in this we actually get to know. The few other cast members all solid, but none of them is really that interesting.

Despite it's weaknesses, I really enjoyed watching this. It's nothing great, not a must see movie, but it's worthwhile nonetheless.

A lot of bad acting in this. Natalia Dyer is doing her best Kristen Stewart impression, and not the good era of Kristen Stewart, I'm talking Twilight era. A lot of pained confused faces and shrugging, like what was she going for here? It was hard to watch. Also what even happened in this movie? A lot of this movie could have been resolved with one conversation but it's just dragged out for what? If this movie had a plot I would understand. There's no chemistry between characters so we're just following them from bar to bar until something happens. Until someone in the movie has the courage to say something? Just a nothing burger of a movie.

Another indie with potential but just never delivered. They sold it as a girl getting involved with a couple, so you think it would interesting. It just never got there. The whole movie was a repeat of 3 different scenes. Leads wakes up in the morning, texts, then it's a bar talking about mostly nothing, then them leaving the bar, talking some more, and then back to one, lead wakes up in the morning. And this went on throughout the whole film.

What could have been a nice indie film with some good performances turns into a bore fest.

Not everything as to be jam packed with action and especial effects, but also on the flip side not everything has to be talking heads with no real story line.

Some movies can work like that, E. G. Lost in Translation, but it's a hard accomplishment to meet.

Kudos for the acting and atmosphere, but thumbs way down for not developing anything that has some meat on it. Little to no humor in it, and no real drama, so in the end it was a lackluster. If you want something a bit better, go watch Threesome or Love. All similar to this, but more happened, somewhat, at least compared to this film.

A very interesting experiment, a well made little 80 minutes indie movie about a girl and a couple she knows in a bar, its a simple story but its worth experience only because the fantastic performance by the stranger things girl, she is amazing in this she has a lot of potential and charisma to become big. She can be a star, the movie it's a simple one of people talking in parties and bars and nothing else, but has a lot of interesting litte details for you to enjoy, i glad I watched in the festival this year with my girlfriend, she enjoyed the movie too, i don't think she is lying.

Just watch it when is available for you to enjoy.