West Michigan

Directed by Riley Warmoth, West Michigan follows siblings Hannah (Chloe Ray Warmoth) and Charlie (Warmoth) as they embark on a road trip to visit their dying grandfather. Filmmaker Warmoth, working from his own screenplay, delivers a rough-around-the-edges indie that benefits from its exceedingly earnest atmosphere and better-than-anticipated central performances, with, in terms of the latter, the Warmoth siblings turning in compelling, sympathetic work as the movie’s impressively fleshed-out protagonists. (Chloe Ray Warmoth, essentially playing the lead character here, does a superb job of finding the humanity in a figure that could’ve come off as one-note sullen.) And although Warmoth has packed the proceedings with appealing elements that belie its obvious lack of budget, including a handful of breathtaking drone shots and excellent use of real-life Michigan-based locations, West Michigan, even at a running time of 76 minutes, suffers from a hit-and-miss midsection that’s compounded by a third act emphasis on Hannah’s less-than-enthralling exploits alongside a trio of rebellious teenagers – which ultimately does prevent the picture’s final few minutes from packing the emotional, cathartic punch Warmoth has obviously intended. Still, West Michigan, for the most part, comes off as a solid debut that boasts a handful of relatable, truthful moments and certainly bodes well for Warmoth’s future behind the camera.

**1/2 out of ****