2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
A father and son, Herman (Jer Berrier) and Nate (Charlie Plummer), spend hours together walking. They walk around a cemetery, out in the wild, and seemingly to the ends of the earth. They search for missing family, they talk about the hardships of life, and they move closer to a place in life that’s impossible to come back from. A Perfect Day for Caribou is a story of hardship and heartbreak, father and son, and pain and suffering.
Plummer and Berrier are tasked with bringing to life a story without much thrill. They must use their raw talent to drive discussion, demand the camera, and ultimately propel A Perfect Day for Caribou forward. It’s such a simple concept–have a father and son wander around having a conversation, and while that’s a lot of what the film offers, there’s more to it than just simple conversation. The two actors quickly create a bond with viewers, and it all starts with Herman sitting in his car, rambling on about different things. He’s real and honest–he’s a representation of so many people in this world, and he, again, is able to create a bond with viewers as a result of his genuine, powerful talent. As I sat and watched him record his thoughts on just about everything I felt that I was looking at myself struggling to remain focused on one train of thought, and it brought a tear to my eye. This is what Plummer and Berrier bring to the table throughout A Perfect Day for Caribou.
While the two are wonderful, a lot of what they are able to create stems from the script of Writer-Director Jeff Rutherford. Rutherford’s script is brilliant. He knows how to create something relatable, something that viewers can latch onto. What’s so wonderful about it is that A Perfect Day for Caribou does feel like a film that’s trying to show off, that’s trying to earn a billion dollars (and there are a lot of films that feel that way–both good and bad), but rather what Rutherford creates feels like it’s trying to make a difference. From the opening moments of the film I felt that Rutherford was speaking to viewers through his characters, as if he was reaching through the screen and trying to tell us something. The script is so personal, so relatable, so accessible–and not a second of the project falters in this regard. With such simplicity, Rutherford reaches the masses.
A Perfect Day for Caribou is shot in 4:3 and in black and white, creating a unique sense of intimacy throughout the film. 4:3 allows viewers to focus better on Nate and Herman, and it allows us to see more of the emotion present in each of the characters throughout the course of the film. Much like everything else in the film, shooting A Perfect Day for Caribou in black and white creates simplicity. These choices force viewers into the film, create that aforementioned intimacy, and continue to develop a connection between viewers and everything playing out on screen.
Every piece of this puzzle lends itself to reaching viewers and making a connection with them. We follow a father and son on a simple journey through life, we see and hear the things that they struggle with, and we ultimately fall in love with them (both their positives and negatives). A Perfect Day for Caribou is emotionally trying, heartfelt, and might just be the film that someone struggling needs to see. Plummer and Berrier lead the show, and they are brilliant every step of the way. Starting with Berrier and ending with Plummer, the film rounds out nicely, always keeping viewers as close to tears as possible, and reminding them of all that life has to offer. A Perfect Day for Caribou is touching, and it refuses to hold anything back.
Written & Directed by Jeff Rutherford.
Starring Charlie Plummer, Jeb Berrier, Rachael Perrell Fosket, Dana Millican, Loudon McCleery, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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