DRAMA. “Hazard.” / “Palm Trees and Power Lines.” / “Retrograde.” / “The Cleaner.” / “The Assistant.” / “James White.” / “Green.” / “Margaret.”

“Hazard” (2025, Pluto TV) Appalachian gritty drama. Set in a struggling mining community heavily impacted by the opioid crisis, the film delivers a raw, harrowing portrait of generational poverty and addiction.

       Although the premise easily offers a predictable storyline structure, this indie somehow was able to go around usual Hollywood tropes. The focus isn't on the obvious blame on Big Pharma but this feature navigates how addiction shatters families.

       Praise as well goes to the involved performances by Alex Roe as small-time dealer Will, and Sosie Bacon as Sara, his estranged partner fighting to stay clean. 🎥💻📽

“Palm Trees and Power Lines” (2022, Amazon Prime) coming-of-age drama. A disconnected teenage girl falls into a relationship with a man twice her age. 

       A quietly powerful directorial debut by Jamie Dack, based on her 2018 short film of the same name. She co-wrote the screenplay with Audrey Findlay, from a story by Ms Dack. The film earned four nominations at the 38th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature.

      This is a painful story to tell because no one disputes its reality. As we speak, millions could be happening. Youngster falling into a manipulative trap by scheming predators. This movie narrates the slow sociocultural horror in a razor blade-sharp precision without going to graphic sequences or overloaded dramatics.

       Main credit goes to Lily McInerny's skillful restraint in giving life to Leah. The 17-year old lead character is so painstakingly real, you'd feel both youthful defiance and vulnerability as a true to life news story. 🎥💻📽

“Retrograde” (2022, Tubi) Canadian drama. A young woman persistently fights a traffic ticket she incurred while helping her new roommate move in, despite the advice of everybody around her to just pay the fine and move on. 

       Nothing really happens here but the steely, hard-headed persistence of Molly (an involved Molly Reisman) to challenge the traffic ticket keeps the dramatic tension alive. Also because this indie's premise might be irritating but in real life, it is an unquestionable fact. 🎥💻📽

“The Cleaner" (2021, Tubi) crime drama. A middle-aged house cleaner gets caught up in a violent crime after being hired to locate a client's estranged son. 

       Apparently, this is a low-budget indie, although there are familiar names here. Shelley Long, Luke Wilson, Lynda Carter, and there's my favorite child star of yesteryears, Soleil Moon Frye. There's also Eden Brolin, daughter of Josh, and Hopper Penn, son of Sean and Robin Wright.

       What it lacked in bombast and gloss, “The Cleaner” compensated with a compelling storyline, fine performance, and relatable characters. The people here seem like my neighbors in Long Beach when I was living in Southern California. 

       First-time director Erin Elders (who co-wrote the screenplay with lead star King Orba), exudes promise. Her debut work isn't so fantastic but it worked or proved that you don't need a “politically correct” script or throat-slashing screamfest project to get noticed. 🎥💻📽

“The Assistant” (2019, Pluto TV) drama. The film follows a recent college graduate and aspiring producer, over a single exhausting workday as a junior assistant to a powerful, unseen entertainment mogul. 

       This movie is all about the powerful, albeit restrained, performance of Julia Garner as Jane, a diligent junior assistant at a film production company. Shot in the interiors or office setting, this feature can be claustrophobic but still very intimate in an awkward or unsettling manner. 🎥💻📽

“James White” (2015, Fandango) drama. A troubled young man is trying to navigate personal tragedy and self-destructive behavior in New York City while his mother battles cancer. Stars Christopher Abbott. 

       Despite the kneading sappiness and mushy predictability, I can't shrug off the powerful, awards-worthy performances by Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon, as directionless but loving son James and dying mom Gail. 

       Still, a promising, game-defining debut work by writer-director Josh Mond. 🎥💻📽

“Green” (2011, Tubi) independent drama/thriller. A New Yorker moves to the country with her boyfriend. Tensions rise and their relationship strains when a new local friend draws the boyfriend's attention. 

       This indie works in some instances, mainly because of Sophia Takal's involved performance, especially with her nonstop mouth. BTW, Ms Takal also wrote and directed this project. I say she deserves another project. 🎥💻📽

“Margaret” (2011, Hulu) psychological drama, directed by Kenneth Lonergan. A New City teenager who, after inadvertently causing a fatal bus accident, becomes consumed by guilt. 

       Mr Lonergan wrote “You Can Count on Me” (2000) and "Gangs of New York” (2002) and wrote/directed “Manchester by the Sea” (2016). So those are enough reasons to watch this movie. Plus you get a roomful of whole lotta kickass performers here, led by Anna Paquin (as the central character Lisa): Jean Reno, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, J. Smith-Cameron, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, Matthew Broderick + others that you'd recognize as leads in other movies or TV series.

       The emotional mess, following a deadly bus mishap, is almost “procedural” (hence by-the-numbers stereotypical) although Ms Paquin delivered an inspired performance. And I am diggin’ the legal complexities of the case. Then the sub-stories, and so on and so forth. But two hours or so of this tedious drama is too much to take. And, I must say, the accident sequence is a bit unbelievable, unrealistic, even a WTH?

       Understandably this movie, with a production budget of $14 million, earned only $623,293 in the box office. 🎥💻📽