Krisha

Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, Krisha follows Krisha Fairchild’s title character as she arrives at Thanksgiving after a long absence from her family – with the narrative detailing the inevitable drama that ensues as Krisha’s demons come bubbling to the surface. It’s clear immediately that Shults is using a fairly straight-forward premise as a springboard for an often hypnotically ambitious debut feature, as the filmmaker, along with cinematographer Drew Daniels and composer Brian McOmber, kicks the proceedings off with a stunning single-take shot and subsequently infuses large chunks of Krisha with engrossing visual (and aural) flourishes (ie certain portions resemble no less than Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love in their execution). There’s little doubt, as well, that the picture benefits substantially from Fairchild’s consistently engrossing turn as the fascinating protagonist, as the actress does a superb job of transforming Krisha into a compelling and progressively sympathetic figure – which certainly ensures that the third act’s revelations make a far more pronounced impact than one might’ve anticipated. And although it’s ultimately apparent that there’s perhaps not quite enough material here to wholeheartedly justify an 83 minute running time, Krisha nevertheless stands as a spectacular first effort from a filmmaker with an almost unreasonable amount of promise.

***1/2 out of ****