Tater Tot & Patton

This little indie film hits every beat in a melodic story. The film benefits from superb performances from the veteran bit actor Bates Wilder (Joy) and from up and comer Jessica Rotthe (Happy Death Day, La La Land). These two have a compelling chemistry from the very first time they share the screen. They swiftly create a believable dynamic that reveals the craft of this screen writer's ability to handle dialogue. This film does not fall into the overwritten dialogue trap that most indie writer/director films suffer from. Kightlinger executed this script with great restraint. He allowed the performers to bring their touches to the characters. The choice of location is almost as stark as one can imagine. It serves a purpose to give one a sense of complete isolation and yet it feels like a place we all know and find beautiful. This is a film that would have been a darling for indie spirit awards if it had a slightly bigger named actor attached. It is well written, directed, edited and scored. For a small film it has big heart.