American Woman

Writer/director Semi Chellas, making her feature debut... [is]'s not afraid to whisper big questions, to make space for small, beautiful moments (pelicans!), or to keep things quietly tense. Because even a slow simmer eventually boils over.

What American Woman lacks... is a script that allows any of this to grow and breathe into something stimulating or satisfying.

American Woman is as nondescript and invisible as its in-hiding subjects try and appear to the public.

Much like its lead characters, American Woman is a fascinating, problematic, difficult-to-comprehend film. But when it works, it's something special.

The plot of American Woman is relatively flimsy; however, the film thrives on the basis of its powerful performances, particularly those from Hong Chau and Sarah Gadon.