The Unknown Country (2023)

In telling a story with surreal and/or other-worldly aspects, there’s a big difference between “mystical” and “mystifying,” and that’s where this second feature from writer-director Morissa Maltz misses the mark. This dreamlike road trip tale of a Native American woman (Lily Gladstone) recovering from the loss of her beloved grandmother follows her on a personal vision quest of sorts across the Midwest and Southern Great Plains. She leaves her home in Minneapolis and travels first to South Dakota to attend her cousin’s wedding and to reconnect with her family and culture, especially the impact…

I watched this film because, well, Lily Gladstone. And honestly, she doesn't disappoint. But the film itself fails to find its bullseye. This is a film about two absolute truths: The first is that every person must grieve in their own way. That's why there's nothing we can say to ease their pain. The second truth is that you can never, ever know what another is truly thinking. Even if they tell you, the words have a different connotation colored by a different life. I wish Lily and Marrisa Maltz had just stuck to one of these truths as an anchor for the film. Both had potential, but together t…