The Girl From Plainville Premiere Early Review

*The following is a spoiler-free review of the first three episodes of The Girl From Plainville, premiering March 29th on Hulu.

The story of Michelle Carter and Conrad Henry Roy III was one that shocked North America back in the early 2010s as the love affair between the pair of teens ended in tragedy following the latter’s suicide which the the former was indicted and convicted of manslaughter based on the series of texts between them where she encouraged him to finish. While there was certainly more to that story, the case and its impact was covered back in the great 2019 HBO documentary I Love You, Now Die. That being said, that true story is ripe for some sort of live action adaptation but how would one work? The Girl From Plainville is a miniseries that dramatizes that story. Of course taking some liberties narratively for dramatic effect but through its first three episodes does a decent job at going further than the documentary by diving deeper into the relationship between Carter (Elle Fanning) and Roy (Colton Ryan) and the circumstances that led to Roy’s suicide. Little did we know, this was only the last of several attempts.

Those familiar with the story and/or the aforementioned doc should have a good idea about what happened next but as far as the premiere was concerned, the case if there really was one was in its early stages as something like this was unprecedented. Making a case and proving it in court in front of a jury was not going to be easy. Either way, it was clear that there wasn’t something right about Carter. She and Roy were two vulnerable people who just found each other at the best or worst time. Told a little too much from her perspective, he was a teen suffering from social anxiety and depression in the midst of his parents’ divorce for whom she connected with. Where the story was lacking was what gravitated him towards her other than being at the right place at the right time in his life. Connecting with the central relationship on the musical dramedy series Glee, Carter saw herself as Rachel Berry and Roy as her boyfriend Finn. That Rachel Berry delusion extended to her everyday life as behind her so called grieving act was merely a ploy for attention and the spotlight.

This act was plain to see but it was merely dismissed as the musings of a teen who lost her boyfriend that not many knew she was with, which was also the case for Roy and his family, living in another town an hour away. While Carter made a show out of her grief and honoring her boyfriend’s memory and helping Roy’s mother Lynn (Chloë Sevigny) looked for answers as she grieved her son as their whole community came to grips with what had happened. Detective Scott Gordon (Kelly AuCoin), on the other hand, couldn’t help but be suspicious of the circumstances that led to Roy’s death based on an unusual text chain between he and Carter that strongly suggested that she had a role in the suicide. From there, an unprecedented investigation into Carter and her role in Roy’s suicide began. Though he was already fragile mentally, her words simply appeared to push him over the edge. Nonetheless, young district attorney Katie Rayburn (Aya Cash) was determined to make the case and a name for herself.

Though the end is inevitable and already public knowledge, what keeps The Girl From Plainville so engaging was its performances beginning with Fanning who absolutely disappears in the role of Michelle Carter. She may already look similar to the real person but she also nails her unhinged personality. These first three episodes only scratch the surface as far as the character was concerned, however, there was certainly something wrong with her. She and Roy essentially lived in some sort of alternate universe that she believed was real and that belief was genuine. Favoring her perspective by seemingly putting her on a pedestal, the other side of the equation felt limited in comparison which could be a bad thing for some viewers. Regardless, Ryan was solid as Roy in spite of the lack of depth. Meanwhile, Sevigny was heartbreaking as Lynn Roy who was lost in still in shock.

At the end of the day, The Girl From Plainville is a compelling true crime drama that only looks to get more uncomfortable from here.

still courtesy of Hulu

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.