2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
The winter is brutal, and Smith (Caitlin Cobb-Vialet) and Huck (Jack Peterson) are alone in a secluded cabin on a farm. Together they should be able to accomplish everything that needs to be done during the harrowing winter–but suddenly something begins to change: themselves. Slowly but surely they begin to switch genders, assuming the other’s supposed gender roles. Thaw sees the two young individuals grow closer and closer to one another as they begin to discover more and more who they truly are.
Where or how Writer-Director Alex Bush found the location for Thaw I’m not really sure; what I am sure of, however, is the fact that the set is stunning. Firstly, it’s aesthetically pleasing–simply beautiful to look at. That’s great, and I genuinely appreciate that about this aspect of the film–but the set does more than just look nice, it helps to supplement Thaw in a way that, had the story taken place in the city, or even in a suburb of a major city, it likely wouldn’t have been successful. This dark, secluded location allows both Smith and Huck to feel separate and isolated from everyone and everything else. That feeling is essential, because it allows them to grow as individuals, it allows their stories to remain front and center throughout the course of the film—and seeing something bigger in the background likely would have hindered its success.
Isolation is maybe the most important aspect of the entire film. It’s clear that Thaw is attempting to push a certain agenda, trying to make viewers think a certain way—but isolation allows other narratives to form and grow. The theme of the film is isolation, there’s no doubt about that. The characters are literally isolated from others, separated from the rest of the world—and they also feel like somehow they exist outside the parameters of normal life, like the decisions that they make are outside of the norm. This is where Thaw ultimately finds success, by making this connection to its viewers. That’s where I found it to be most accessible, and once I was in I was hooked.
The darkness that transcends the film, both literal and figurative darkness, plays a pivotal role in how viewers receive Thaw, and honestly whether or not they are able to accept the film at all. Bush does a stellar job of creating darkness in every facet of his film, and that allows viewers to better understand the content and what the struggles being depicted mean to the characters.
Thaw is attempting to push a specific narrative, one very close to the narratives being presented by the media and mainstream cinema today. However, Bush finds ways to separate himself, to create a narrative just unique enough to keep things fresh while holding onto his target audience. He uses the beauty of his set and a quasi-absence of light to tell this story, to make it accessible, and to ultimately propel Thaw forward in a way that affords it the opportunity to reach everyone, not just a niche group of viewers. Thaw sheds a unique light on the struggles being depicted on screen, and I believe that Bush’s film will find continued success on its festival run.
Written & Directed by Alex Bush.
Starring Caitlin Cobb-Vialet, Jack Peterson, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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