I’ll admit, I didn’t think I would like Aimee Graham’s arthouse drama, mainly because the premise is kind of bizarre. It begins as this kind of weird night out with two random people, then devolves in to a car theft and odd detours, and then transforms in to this pretty hypnotizing drama about two kindred spirits. Despite the narrative that feels like it goes literally everywhere, “The Allnighter” is thankfully not hindered by this one caveat. Truth be told, “The Allnighter” is altogether pretty stellar, and it’s a film that kept me hooked right through the very end.
When an astrophysics student working towards his PhD loses priceless research to an auto theft, he makes a bargain with a woman at a local pawn shop in order to get it back. Seeking to resolve issues from the past with her family, Belle drags Terence to the desert where the two unwittingly play integral roles in healing old wounds– inspiring deliverance. A late-night encounter entwines the lives of two complex, yet resilient individuals, as they navigate the challenges that threaten to dismantle them.
I loved so much about “The Allnighter” from the cast, through the themes about life and how they relate to physics, as well as the really bittersweet take on two people working hard for something fulfilling in their own lives. “The Allnighter” could have fallen apart (admittedly some of the editing is jarring at times), but Graham’s ace direction and writing keeps the film as a constantly intriguing and unique drama that builds characters beautifully. Along the way director Graham directs a collectively marvelous cast including Sylva Kelegian, David Koechner, James Russo, and the late Tiny Lister, respectively.
The movie is carried though by the stunning performances by Owen Beckman and Gretchen Lodge. Both play wildly different people that seem so much more compatible the more we learn about them. There’s actually progression and character evolution as the film presses on with Beckman and Lodge committing to some truly heartfelt and wonderful moments. From their trek to a beach, to meeting Belle’s long suffering parents, it all comes together to complete this entertaining tale of two really broken people. Beckman in particular is so good as this soft spoken and often humble young guy who is brimming with so much pain and pressure. It’s his drive to complete his college work that keeps him ultimately from breaking down.
Graham’s drama works so well as a character study and engaging look at two people that find kindred spirits in what often seems like such a random, chaotic world. Director Aimee Graham’s direction is also often so polished and unique that the small budget thankfully never slips in to the overall mood or momentum of the narrative. “The Allnighter” really is a film for folks that love works from Noah Baumbach or Greta Gerwig.
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