Our Father simmers with unrelenting angst. The film, written and directed by Bradley Grant Smith explores the relationship between two sisters, though it doesn't dig as deep enough as it can, especially with regards to the leading characters. While there are quiet, meaningful moments to be found throughout, Our Father takes too long to reach a conclusion that leaves a lot to be desired.
After their father’s death, estranged sisters Beta (Baize Buzan) and Zelda (Allison Torem) reunite to find their long lost uncle Jerry (Austin Pendleton), their father’s estranged brother who’s mentioned in the will, but is presumed dead. Beta, who was recently accepted into graduate school, is hesitant to leave her sister behind, especially now that they’ve reconnected. However, over the course of a few days, the sisters must evade their father’s ex-wife and her misogynist sons, as well as other unkindly people in a bid to find the one person left in their family who might actually care about them.
On the surface, Our Father looks to resolve the tension between Beta and Zelda, though the film doesn’t delve too deep into the dynamics of their relationship. This is primarily because the sisters are most concerned with finding their lost uncle, hoping to find a family member who isn’t a complete disappointment and might be there for them in future. As for Beta and Zelda’s relationship, the film barely scratches the surface. Their lives have gone in opposite directions, but the only real sense of reconciliation comes from Beta wanting to ensure that her younger sister is taken care of when she goes off to grad school. Despite the fact they clearly care for each other, there is so much more to their dynamic that is barely explored.
Rather, Our Father turns its attention to how prevalent toxic masculinity is in their lives. Catcalls, harassment, blatant sexual assault, ex-boyfriends with anger and control issues, and a waiter who just wants Beta to “take a compliment” simply because he gave it. These incidents signal how little Beta and Zelda are actually seen as people and how sexism is so embedded into our society that even their father’s wife is quick to blame Zelda for being harassed because she’s wearing a short skirt. The toxic behavior is disgusting and it’s unfortunately something women have long experienced, with the film suggesting that the sisters are much better off without their father, half-brothers, or Beta’s controlling boyfriend in their lives.
In a way, they’re free from the burden, though the sisters’ fractured relationship lingers like a heavy weight on the heart. That said, the treatment of the leading characters is somewhat concerning because it’s primarily based in trauma and pain. There isn’t enough time spent on exploring their shared grief and the film uses their search to avoid delving deeper into the two women at the forefront. What’s more, the sexism comes off very heavy-handed sometimes and lacks in nuance. Smith’s screenplay takes some time to really get going and the film’s execution is somewhat clunky at first until Zelda and Beta breakaway to find Jerry on their own. This is when Our Father finds solid footing and for a while, the film is able to sincerely flourish.
The film is anchored by Buzan and Tolem’s performances, both of whom capture the essences of their characters. Strong-willed, messy, and filled with drama, Beta and Zelda’s lives have a lot going on and they grapple with an inordinate amount of emotion. Buzan and Tolem’s roles are the opposite of the other, but they each offer something entirely unique and deep to bring their characters to life. That said, Beta and Zelda’s estrangement isn’t entirely well-handled. The film’s journey to bring them back together is stilted, often derailed by shallow arguments about Zelda not having a phone or some other non-issue. It’s clear that they’ve been on the outs for some time. However, they avoid having any deep or meaningful conversations. Zelda learns of Beta’s plans to go to grad school, but Beta doesn’t learn about the most important aspects of Zelda’s life until the very end. By then, however, it’s too late for them to build a foundation because Our Father distracts itself with the search for the elusive uncle.
Our Father had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 18, 2021. The film is 90 minutes long and is not yet rated.