Coloured in red, white, and blue like the American flag, Carolina Caroline’s opening credits set the film’s tone. Caroline (Samara Weaving), a naive and innocent woman living in Texas, finds her life changed forever when Oliver (Kyle Gallner) walks into her filling station and scams her boss out of a few extra bills. Caroline is undeniably drawn to Oliver, a mysterious and charismatic con man who is used to life on the road, while she has been stuck in her small town working a dead-end job that includes stocking shelves and mopping floors. When she sees him again at the local bar, their chemistry is explosive. It doesn’t take long before they’re hitting the road together, travelling Southeast in search of Caroline’s estranged mother (Kyra Sedgwick). On the road, Oliver teaches Caroline the con she witnessed and the pair leave behind a wave of escalating crime and passion.
Weaving and Gallner are incredibly captivating, commanding every scene they’re in. They have strong chemistry and are as sexy as ever, with passionate sex scenes that never show the actual sex, just the build up. It’s fun and effective. There’s an intensity between them whether they’re in the bedroom or dancing in bars or robbing banks. It’s hard to believe that this is their first film together, it feels like they’ve been acting together for years. They are a pairing I would love to see time and time again. Having both starred in their fair share of horror, which I love, it was a lovely surprise seeing Weaving and Gallner take on roles like these instead. Sedgwick’s callous performance as Caroline’s mother is phenomenal, which perfectly contrasts Jon Gries as Caroline’s sweet and loving father. It’s easily one of the most emotionally devastating scenes in the entire film.
Set in a timeless era, Carolina Caroline is a cross between Bonnie and Clyde and Crossroads—a road-trip movie centering on two star-crossed lovers who are either running away from or hoping to find themselves. Known for the coming-of-age films Snack Shack and Dinner in America (also starring Gallner), Adam Rehmeier is a confident director perfectly suited to bringing to life Tom Dean’s bold and assertive screenplay. The film embodies a distinct American aesthetic thanks to its settings, performances, wardrobe design, and Jean-Philippe Bernier’s gorgeous cinematography. This is aided by a fantastic soundtrack spanning decades, featuring the likes of “Someday” by Steve Earle, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” by Kitty Wells, and “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell. Early in the film, Caroline leaves her house wearing a white and red striped shirt, not buttoned all the way, with blue shorts and brown cowboy boots. Her wavy, blonde hair hangs just below her collar bones and she dons a toothy smile with a red lip. Across from her, Oliver stands in front of his navy Chevy, wearing blue jeans and a white tank top beneath an open Hawaiian shirt. He’s also wearing a smile, with sunglasses folded over his top. It’s a perfect scene with the cinematic magnetism often found in the ’70s and ’90s films its emulating.
While there’s a lot of thrill and passion to Carolina Caroline, thanks to their reckless crime spree, the film possesses a lot of depth in its themes of love, freedom, connection, and morality, with Dean balancing the act of showing and telling effectively—small scenes provide a lot of information about Caroline’s emotional state without her having to utter a word. It’s fun to watch Caroline develop more confidence as the film moves forward, while her growing addiction to this exciting lifestyle is an attempt to fulfil the one thing that has always tormented her: whether or not she is a good person.
Con men are alluring by design. When someone uses their confidence, charisma, and skill, you almost feel like it doesn’t matter if they do something bad. If they can pull it off, maybe they should be allowed to get away with it. There’s something electric about watching other people live this way, to be able to dip into a life that is so bold and freeing, but full of immense risk. This is something the film captures perfectly. It’s easy to see why Caroline, living in her small town and dreaming of a different life, would be so drawn to someone as enticing as Oliver. While things wrap up a little too quickly, it’s an emotional journey that feels rewarding after the time spent with these two compelling characters, who remain sympathetic despite where they end. Charming and engaging, Carolina Caroline breathes new life into a tale as old as time: the genre of crime-spreeing, road-tripping star-crossed lovers. It is undeniably one of the best films of the year, and earns its place next to the likes of Bonnie and Clyde, Badlands, Wild at Heart, and Natural Born Killers.
Carolina Caroline will be released in cinemas on 5th June.
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