In the Appalachians, Lemon Cassidy is a rugged mother, raising chickens and a handsome goat. When she's not tending to the chores, she's having to explain to her son that his dad can't tuck him in because he's "off galavantin'."
One day, two scruffians show up and it would appear that they are collectors of the neo-Western sort. In actuality, they are simply the errand boys of an evil Betty Crocker type named Tommy, an "Arch" of this wild land.
In this region of the country, the people abide by a "creed" that is never explained but obviously part of a system whereby the "(patri or matri)Archs" hold sway over less notorious families. Tommy is one of those Archs and unfortunately, Lemon is tasked with reconciling a debt incurred by her husband who has been "skunked." I'm still not sure what that means. Also, keep in mind that when she passes a sign that reads, "Runion," this is the name of the family, not the place. There are more than a couple of head-scratching moments served up here. Lemon takes a detour to deliver acid to a backwoods cult and while quirky and interesting ...even a bit nauseating, it's hardly crucial to the plot.
Danielle Deadwyler's wide-eyed performance as Lemon is intense and unique enough to give the film a distinctive identity and the mother/son connection is the beating heart of the story. As endearing as those qualities are, there still isn't quite enough here to get our emotions stirred to the point of leaving us shaken. It's a thoughtful film and the problematic morality creates a good exclamation point for it to finish on, but it lands awkwardly between gritty indie drama and provocative thriller. That middle ground somehow feels soft. I have to say it deserves credit for steering clear of any "homegrown justice" cliches and just barely misses the "don't-nobody-owe-you-nothin" level of melodrama. For some reason though, it doesn't achieve the same kind of urgency we got with Winter's Bone (2010) or Out of the Furnace (2013) which is a shame considering Deadwyler's dramatic skill is on par with Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence.
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