We Still Say Grace (2020) Review
We Still Say Grace (2020) Review
Hollywood mainstay Bruce Davison (X-MEN, THOSE WHO KILL) gives a deliciously dark turn as religious fanatic Harold, a god-fearing family man who lives with his down-trodden wife and teenage daughters in a remote farmhouse, as far away as possible from the sin filled world and civilisation, where he rules his household with an iron fist. The older she gets, the more daughter Maggie (Holly Taylor- THE AMERICANS, MANIFEST) begins to question her father’s rules and rituals and is desperate to live a normal life.
When three young men break down near the house, they go in search of help…and their dream road trip soon becomes an unimaginable nightmare…as they stumble upon this seemingly happy family home that houses dark secrets. They are soon sucked into a wicked world of saints and sinners.
Intrigued by the guests, Maggie starts to develop a strong connection with one of the boys, could they be the opportunity to escape she so desperately wants? But as things start to spiral out of control, Harold isn’t prepared to relinquish his powerful grip, and tensions build between the family and the new arrivals.
Dismissed by online critics as just another ‘run-of-the-mill religious fanatic movie’ writer/directors Brad Helmink & John Rauschelbach’s WE STILL SAY GRACE is arguably so much more than that. True, it does tread familiar ground but then it also has a few crucial elements that the others do not that work strongly in its favour.
Firstly the terrific cast help breathe new life into a jaded subgenre and they are backed-up strongly by a script that throws in some genuinely surprising plot twists. Add into the mix a stealthily maintained slow-burning tension and you have one of the better thrillers of recent years.
Performance-wise each and everyone of the film’s small cast are exceptional with both Bruce Davison and Holly Taylor impressing the most by ensuring that their characters feel less like the standard caricatures that normally clog up and irritate in other movies of this ilk and more like ‘real people’. They anchor the movie and elevate it above the norm. In short WE STILL SAY GRACE is a triumph and we strongly recommend that you see it.
