Raylene (Krew Boylan) is a down-on-her-luck realtor, who has found herself in desperate need of a career change. One day she embraces her greatest passion ever, Dolly Parton, and she decides that she will become the world’s greatest Dolly Parton impersonator. On her journey she loses a part of herself, unsure of who and what she wants to be. Seriously Red is a story about struggle, about figuring out who and what you are, and understanding that sometimes it’s okay to let things go, no matter how much you love it.
In more ways than one, Seriously Red is a story about an identity crisis. The film begs its viewers to look at themselves and question who they want to be. Seriously Red takes this sentiment to the extreme–and as quickly as Raylene finds her way in the world she loses it. What she loses on her journey is maybe a bit more extreme than what most viewers might have experienced in the past, but it brilliantly lays out something accessible and humbling. Much of why this aspect of the film works is pacing–and as the film progresses it brings things to life at just the right time, never too soon and never a moment too late. It’s cheesy and whacky, then, in the blink of an eye it’s not. Drama moves to the forefront of Seriously Red, and it never looks back. The pacing, and then the sudden shift, help to create an honest narrative that should resonate with everyone.
Color is used to guide the film. When Raylene is out and about, just being herself, the colors that surround her drown her out, and they help to express the fact that she feels out of place and inferior. However, when she becomes Dolly Parton the use of light and slightly duller colors allows her to stand out and make her way to the forefront of those scenes. However, as Seriously Red progresses, Raylene is consumed by the color everywhere she goes, expressing the shift in her demeanor and her place in the world.
There are some issues with the sound. There are a few instances when the loud background noise drowns out the dialogue, and it makes it incredibly difficult to hear what characters are saying. In these moments viewers lose pieces of Seriously Red. I can’t speak to whether or not these pieces are important , because the dialogue was that difficult to decipher. Regardless of the nature of the dialogue, however, it’s frustrating not being able to hear the things occurring on screen.
While the sound is sometimes an issue, the soundtrack is Charming and warm, so much so that even the most musically inept individuals can appreciate it. From Dolly Parton to Kenny Rogers, the soundtrack contains a series of wonderful songs that evoke genuine emotion. I loved every song that played throughout the course of Seriously Red–and as the next song played, I was pulled further and further into the story and closer to the characters.
Boylen (who’s also the writer) and Director Gracie Otto create some scenes that require nudity–and that seems like a random thing to mention, but the reality is that those scenes actually add to the film. It’s not nudity for nudity’s sake, but rather it adds to the narrative and helps to develop emotions throughout. This is just one example of the brilliance that exists throughout Seriously Red. Seemingly trivial decisions play a role in developing the film, and that’s a testament to what Boylen and Otto are able to create. What had the potential to be a wildly ineffective film turns out to be an emotionally relevant roller coaster. Seriously Red is seriously good, never missing a beat along the way.
Directed by Gracie Otto.
Written by Krew Boylan.
Starring Krew Boylan, Daniel Webber, Rose Byrne, Celeste Barber, Bobby Cannavale, Thomas Campbell, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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