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But what comes next catches you up.
Ben isnt supposed to be home.
Hes troubled and hes trouble.
I feel as if every time I turn into my driveway I might see Lucas Hedges, too.
(See it above all for Elaine May.)
But Im still trying to get a fix on him.
He doesnt have the electricity of hisBeautiful Boycounterpoint, the hotshot Timothee Chalamet.
He stands back a little, as if still working things through.
In early scenes, Ben is rigid.
His shoulders are locked and he has inmate eyes they cast subtly around the room for threats or opportunities.
Some of his readings sound unnatural, but is it Hedges or Ben whos acting badly?
Addicts tend to be bad actors.
They lie reflexively, to other people and sometimes themselves.
Our early uncertainty about him works it makes the movie scarier.
(Holly is meant to be Super Mom and not Black Hawk Helicopter Mom.)
Will he produce a vial of untainted urine from his pants?
How might the next minute lead to his death?
(Vance doesnt get to show his full range, but he vividly evokes a conflicted soul.)
(Was he prosecuted for dealing heroin?
The film doesnt say.)
(I know … how primitive can a movie get?)
Its potent, though.
No matter how hard you fight the last shot, its devastating.
