We know that sexual grooming of children and teenagers is extremely prevalent all over the world and this film really slaps you in the face with how this can happen and the lethal combination of seriously bad parenting, vulnerable innocents and predators. The film begins with a typical teenage scenario of out of control teenagers and no parental guidance. Leah, the main protagonist is a pretty girl emotionally vulnerable and drifting. Her mother is unable to provide her with what she needs at a difficult time of growing up. Predators are all over mainstream society looking for their moment to seize and take advantage of innocence. Unfortunately Lea is intoxicated by the attentions of a good looking man double her age if not more and falls in to his attention trap. After all, she has no father figure and craves recognition and love. In a short time, the predator has hooked her in and what is particularly amazing about this film is that the portrayal of the grooming seems as natural and easy as could be. That is what is so horrifying . The process of grooming is making the victim become dependant on the predator for everything that is missing. The predator is actually a heartless stone cold evil manipulator . The most disturbing aspect of the film is that we are left with a reality at the end that leads us to believe that Leah will go back to him and be eternally damaged . This could be seen several ways ; an unfinished ending which is not satisfying, a bleak reality that gives no hope or that Leah will eventually pull herself out. We will never know, As we never know truly about the millions of victims around the world that go unnoticed. What happens to them?
Review of Palm Trees and Power Lines
Palm Trees and Power Lines
(2022)
This happens all the time but we never want to look at it
6 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers