This film is extremely well done and should be required watching for all teens.
It follows Lea who is groomed by the much older Tom who not only wants her as his love, but for other sinister reasons too.
The pace is slow, but that's exactly how grooming can work. The content during the pacing is formidable as it graphically shows how way it is for an older man to seduce a young girl who does not know the way of the world and has a mother who cares less than she should.
Tom is played fabulously by Jonathan Tucker. He totally nails the role of seducer and abuser and you can tell from the start that he is very practiced in this.
Lea is played brilliantly by the unknown to me Lily McInerny and she gives an excellent performance as the jaded yet innocent Lea. She perfectly captures the nuances of emotions as she goes through this journey of what she believes to be love, realises is abuse, and then settles for acceptance.
It's an important film for us all to be mindful of this kind of behaviour.
If only the waitress has phoned the police, if only the woman at the motel had said no, if only Lea's friends had been nicer, if only her mother was more caring... This film is all about If Only's.
It follows Lea who is groomed by the much older Tom who not only wants her as his love, but for other sinister reasons too.
The pace is slow, but that's exactly how grooming can work. The content during the pacing is formidable as it graphically shows how way it is for an older man to seduce a young girl who does not know the way of the world and has a mother who cares less than she should.
Tom is played fabulously by Jonathan Tucker. He totally nails the role of seducer and abuser and you can tell from the start that he is very practiced in this.
Lea is played brilliantly by the unknown to me Lily McInerny and she gives an excellent performance as the jaded yet innocent Lea. She perfectly captures the nuances of emotions as she goes through this journey of what she believes to be love, realises is abuse, and then settles for acceptance.
It's an important film for us all to be mindful of this kind of behaviour.
If only the waitress has phoned the police, if only the woman at the motel had said no, if only Lea's friends had been nicer, if only her mother was more caring... This film is all about If Only's.