Suze

Greetings again from the darkness. Empty nest syndrome has always fascinated me. As parents, we strive to build independence in our kids so that they can go out in the world and fend for themselves (better described as not moving back home or remaining on the family 'payroll'). And then there are parents like Susan in this excellent and entertaining new film from co-writers and co-directors Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart (partners, spouses, and collaborators).

We first see Susan (Michaela Watkins) as she arrives home and finds her husband and a woman canoodling in the backyard swimming pool. The story then jumps ahead five years. Susan is divorced and her daughter Brooke (Sara Waisglass, TAINTED, 2020) is graduating from high school, with a plan to live at home and attend a local college. Susan is a hovering parent, seemingly involved in all aspects of Brooke's life - even questioning what her daughter sees in goofy and free-spirited Gage (Charlie Gillespie, TOTALLY KILLER, 2023), the boyfriend who couldn't manage to graduate on time.

Susan is exasperated ... or maybe just beaten down ... with her life. She works a dead-end job, is in perimenopause, has no love life of her own, can't believe her overachieving daughter is with this 'loser', and seems to have lost any portion of her own self while being a mother. Things go from bad to worse for her when her ex-husband and his new wife (Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Sorika Wolf) spill the beans on big news about Brooke. It's news that shocks Susan - mostly because she was the last to know. Now for all of this to work, the extraordinary talents of Michaela Watkins (YOU HURT MY FEELINGS, 2023; PAINT, 2023) carry these scenes. She flashes the greatest forlorn face in cinema. Is this kinda funny or is the pain too deep? Well, it's both.

The film really takes off from there. Circumstances are such that Susan and Gage are forced to spend significant time together, and what follows is an example of how humanity and emotions and personality can blend to form surprising bonds. The on-screen chemistry between Watkins and Gillespie is a thing of beauty. It's not romantic chemistry, but rather two lonely souls from different generations learning and evolving thanks to each other. Once we meet Gage's dad (Aaron Ashmore), much is understood as to why Gage thrives from Susan's caring approach.

This script is beautifully written, and the acting is superb. The cast excels in playing the scenarios as real people would. The dialogue is grounded, yet sometimes it stings, while at other times it evokes laughter. When Gage tells Susan, "We both got left by the same person", their bond is solidified - even moreso than after the 'cuddle party'. The cherry on top here is Gage performing Roxette's classic hit, "It Must Have Been Love". The film was well received at festivals last year, and I expect it will find an appreciative audience this year.

Opens in theaters on February 7, 2024.

Lots to like here. Suze deals with issues of divorce, mental health, female menopause, child seperation and mid life crises. That may seem like a lot to get through, but Suze tip toes through these minefields quite deftly with good writing and characterisation.

The production values are good enough, the acting is totally believable and the script, story and plot are very pleasing.

So why give it only 6? Well, whilst the movie was pleasant and whimsical, at times I wanted a little more comedy in the comedic moments. Maybe that was choice between script, director and actor. Also the 'make out' scene was a touch clumsy.

That being said, I would still recommend.

What could be better than an indie flick? Why a Canadian indie flick, of course! I was a bit skeptical going into this one, but what a pleasant surprise. Just about everything about it was picture perfect. Great acting, excellent writing, interesting story, and ultimately, a warmhearted and unpredictable movie.

Susan (Michaela Watkins), is a divorced mom who's raised her daughter by herself. After graduation, Brooke (Sara Waisglass) announces she's not going to college locally, but to McGill University in Montreal, six hours away. Susan is devastated. As is Gage (Charlie Gillespie), Brooke's clingy boyfriend. He's a totally unmotivated high school dropout and Susan despises him. After he attempts to commit suicide, Susan reluctantly agrees to take him in and to keep an eye on him.

The two mismatched couple eventually grow closer together, while Susan tries to move on with her life. She's a very encouraging surrogate mom to Gage and the film takes numerous twists and turns, all adding up to a funny, amusing, and satisfying hour and a half of rewarding moviegoing. If you're in the mood for something a bit different, be sure to put this film in your queue!

--MovieJunkieMark.

I had no idea what to expect from this Canadian indie but this movie ended up being exctly what I needed on a cold rainy night. Suze and Gage left me feeling hopeful about the world and their performances (by the amazing Charlie Gillespie and Michaela Watkins) were quite charming! The daughter reminded me way too much of my own (lol!)

I laughed, I teared up, and I actually look forward to watching it again. I find there aren't that many films about kindness out there and I think we need more of that.

So nice to see Michaela in a leading role as well. I always enjoy seeing her in shows but didn't know her name but I'll never forget it now.

If you want to have your heart warmed, check this out. It's such a sweet lil' love story!

This was so freaking adorable. Like a cuddly warm hug, it made me laugh so hard at times, the script is so fun and fresh, but it also made me cry a lot because damn I've been there, I suffer from depression and I felt like Gage before and Charlie's acting threw me off that water tower, so damn good, so raw, I felt it all, damn the boy can act and damn the boy can SING, literal chills, he manages to portray this character in a way that's so beautiful to see, so real. And how sweet is the relationship between the two of them, they needed each other and they didn't even know it, some connections are just the magic we need, the little push we need when we're in the depth of darkness, that kind of mutual understanding and love that makes you want to keep going. So special. I want that. Sweet sweet. Loved it. It's what movies should do.