Blow the Man Down
R for language, some violence, sexual material and brief drug use | 1h 30min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery | Exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, March 20
Synopsis: “Blow The Man Down,” welcomes us to Easter Cove, a salty fishing village on the far reaches of Maine’s rocky coast, where door decorations and boat names, are just as eccentric as its residents. Grieving the loss of their mother and facing an uncertain future, Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly (Saylor and Lowe) cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters must go deeper into Easter Cove’s underbelly and uncover the town matriarchs’ (Squibb, O’Toole) darkest secrets. The sisters also soon find themselves under the cunning watchful eye of town elder, Enid Nora Devlin (Martindale), who runs the town’s “bed & breakfast.”
The film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, where the filmmakers won the Best Original Screenplay Award along with praise for blending its noir elements and strong female narrative both in front and behind the camera. The film garnered further buzz at TIFF, where it played in the Contemporary World Cinema section.
Review: This was a fun tale to watch unfold. Seasoned with well thought out characters the story is engaging without being overtly complicated. There is an art to being simplistic without losing depth. Co-writers and directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy keep us intrigued while allowing their actors to move and breath naturally.
For me personally the success of a film like this lies in the question, “do I want to see more from these characters?”. The answer here is yes. I would be fine watching weekly antics from the inhabitants of this north eastern town. I grew up in the era of weekly network dramas like Dallas and Knots Landing. Easter Cove would fit in to that mix quite nicely. Like a darker Northern Exposure.
As a fan of Margo Martindale I enjoyed watching her in this one. We usually se her as the nice, respectable person in town. Her salty and rough persona here was a nice change of pace and shows that she can bring the sass when needed. June Squibb as well is also a great addition to an ensemble and brings a sweet addition here. Of course the story falls on the shoulders of the two young sisters, Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly. The two good Catholic girls get into some hot water and have to find a way to get out unscathed. Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe guide their characters through the ups and downs of their dilemma respectfully.
Those with Amazon Prime should keep an eye out for this one and put in on your watch list. The content is R rated but not overtly explicit. Once you get the kids to bed it will make for a entertaining after hours viewing.
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