Watched this movie at Tribeca. Honestly, the characters felt incredibly underdeveloped, to the point where I was never truly invested in any of them. The storytelling was uneven and often relied on manipulative tropes rather than authentic character moments. It's almost as if the screenplay was designed solely to tug at your heartstrings-not because you care about the protagonist, but because you're supposed to feel sorry for them. The result is a film that tries to force empathy for the lead character rather than earning it organically through real, lived-in moments.
It falls squarely into the "poverty porn" trap, parading hardship for the sake of eliciting a response from the audience rather than offering any genuine insight or emotional depth. The film seems desperate for awards recognition, packing in every possible tragic beat and social issue without ever giving the story or characters room to breathe. Instead of being moving, it just feels contrived and manipulative.
Overall, this is award bait at its most obvious. It left me wanting a far more nuanced, honest, and character-driven approach-something that wasn't so calculated to win sympathy, but actually earned it.
