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★★★★
Directed by: Brad Helmink, John Rauschelbach
Written by: Brad Helmink, John Rauschelbach
Starring: Bruce Davison, Holly Taylor, Rita Volk, Arianne Zucker, Dallas Hart, Xavier Watson, Frankie Wolf
Film Review by: Jason Knight
We Still Say Grace Movie Review
Three unfortunate young men stumble across a rather unconventional family, leading to devastating consequences.
Harold (Davison) and his wife Betty (Zucker) live in an isolated farmhouse in the countryside. They have two daughters named Maggie (Taylor) and Sarah (Volk) and the family is deeply religious. They follow strict rules, constantly say their prayers, have crucifixes on the walls and wear cross necklaces and old-fashioned clothing. They do not have a phone or a car. One day, three passing youths arrive at the family's property after their car breaks down. They are welcomed into their home and Harold helps them repair their vehicle. It soon becomes clear that there is more to this family than meets the eye and as the boys repeatedly disrespect Harold and his household, things get tense and deadly.
This psychological thriller catches the viewer's attention from the disturbing opening scene, which shows just how abnormal the family is. As the plot deals with religious individuals, there is a great deal of religion in this film, whether it involves quotes from the Bible or crucifixes here and there. As the story progresses, the suspense and tension rise dramatically and so does the body count.
Davison delivers a vivid performance as the head of the unusual household. He controls his family with an iron fist and to him, religion is the most important thing. He can be very friendly or very fierce and is arguably the most intriguing character. Taylor is sympathetic as the sensitive daughter, who does not completely share the same beliefs as her family. She goes through significant character development as she begins to question her father and develop a rapport with Fisher (Hart), one of the travelling youths.
One of the movie's strongest aspects is the score by Mel Elias. It is tense and sinister, creating a feeling of dread, which goes very well with the scenes' atmosphere.
This thriller is a story filled with religion, murder, secrets and betrayal. Partially, it is also a love story and a coming-of-age film. The acting is great, the characters are interesting, the narrative is suspenseful and contains dramatic plot twists. It is certainly worth viewing.
We Still Say Grace releases on digital 3 May 2021
Watch the film trailer.
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