Outside In

Jay Duplass, Edie Falco

Kaitlyn Dever

"Things are Never the Same on the Outside"

NETFLIX

The plot seems simple enough - an ex convict is released after 20 years for a crime he didn't commit, through the advocacy of his former HS teacher. Yet at the story unfolds we realize it isn't that simple. A side plot offers some complexity to an otherwise average drama.

Chris (Jay Duplass) is fetched from prison by his brother Ted. Although the crime is not re-enacted, the audience does have a sense more or less of what actually occurred through a muddled voice-over. The thing is Chris is totally innocent yet served 20 years incarceration. 

Now 38 years old awkward and shy Chris must adapt to a very uncertain future. He tries applying for several jobs yet his one passion remains his romantic feelings towards his former teacher. Carol (Edie Falco) is stuck in a loveless marriage and has a complicated relationship with her teenage daughter Hildy (Kaitlyn Dever). Fully aware of Chris's crush on her but staying true to her married vows.

Eventually, an event leads Carol into Chris's arms and although we want to cheer them on, it isn't the happy ending we all long for. Or is it? I am not spoiling the fluid ending. It is up to the audience to formulate their own conclusion(s), alright?

Jay Duplass is a familiar face if you watched the eccentric yet amusingly entertaining TV show "Transparent". His characterization of Chris is subdued. A stoic outward appearance yet deep inside he is very conflicted with his feelings. There is nothing much to say about Edie Falco's brilliant acting talent. She is fantastic in any role and as Carol, she is in true form. 

"Outside In" (#81 in the best 250 films on Netflix) proves that even though it may be a small budget movie, it still kicks in a lot of punch in its narrative. A compassionate and absorbing story set in a small town with great performances from its two main leads.

P.S.

RIP to its director, Lynn Shelton who died recently. Gone too soon, just 54.