Kris (Amber Harvard) is a troubled, blank, 14-year-old girl growing up impoverished on the rural outskirts of Houston, Texas, separated from her mother who is serving time in a state penitentiary. Prone to aimless petty rebellion, Kris is forced to work for her neighbour Abe (Rob Morgan) who travels across the state trying to keep a foothold in the rodeo circuit, though he appears to be in denial about what his lifestyle is doing to his ageing body. Annie Silverstein’s evocative portrait of lost souls is a delicate, affecting wonder, one of the finest American debut features for this or many years. MH

Second Chance: Wed, 13th Nov 2019