I caught this on NetFlix last night. I thought it was good, a good movie that tells the story very well and with excellent acting. I had never seen any of the actors before and was pleasantly surprised. This is a character drama without much action besides the interpersonal drama which I enjoy but maybe isn't for everyone.
The story will resonate with anyone who grew up in a small town and was bored and frustrated by that limited existence. Sarah Barton works at the grocery store, is bored with her job and her life, and looks around at all of the people still in the town and can't imagine growing up and living here her whole life. Her mother and boyfriend are in town but they don't do much to help her tolerate it. She wants something to happen in her life but doesn't know how to go about it.
In drifts Pepper, a classic charismatic drifter with a dark side, who befriends Sarah and leads her into a sordid world of striptease, sex and drugs.
I thought the interplay between the two leads was excellent and they clearly had chemistry and played their parts so well it didn't seem like acting at all. A scene near the end (no spoilers) where they both know they're lying to each other but are both pretending that they're not was played extremely well.
The scenes, supporting actors, and even costumes were so perfect for rural small town America that it was possible to believe every detail of the story.
The ending, while not completely "uncompromising" was satisfying and I thought both hopeful and realistic.
Overall a good movie.
