Master Gardener – A Decent Character Thriller (Early Review)

Master Gardener sees writer/director Paul Schrader back with another character study masquerading as a thriller following a character who is seemingly normal to cover up some kind of darkness. While watching, recent Schrader films such as First Reformed and The Card Counter may come to mind at times as this film is more or less in the same vein as those. That being said, the narrative pieces are there and the film maintains the same essence as the other aforementioned films but those seeds failed to blossom in as strong of a way. Bringing plenty of themes to the table, it takes a long to get going as it figures out what it wants to do and what it wants to say with those themes. However, it never truly came together in more than a surface level way. Nevertheless, the story around it still delivered enough satisfying emotional beats and tension to keep audiences entertained though one can’t help but want more. Ultimately, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, and Quintessa Swindell keep it afloat as the former fits the mold of the charming anti-hero with layers of darkness to him. It’s just a shame that the film didn’t do nearly enough with him.

Master Gardener centers around Narvel Roth (Edgerton), a horticulturist and long time caretaker of Gracewood Gardens, meticulously developing it into a beautiful sanctuary for its overbearing owner, Norma Haverhill (Weaver). Despite their complicated relationship, Roth made it work as he and his staff simply put up with Haverhill and her various demands. This was merely a means to an end as his real care was for the gardens. Blessed with a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of plants, it was clear that his experience went beyond horticulture. Haunted by visions of his past, he kept much of his past to himself and took refuge in plants and Gracewood Gardens. However, that past started to trickle out upon the arrival of Haverhill’s troubled great-niece Maya (Swindell) for whom she would support financially in exchange for her working for Roth as his new apprentice. To her credit, she was ready to work and get her hands dirty. Taking care of her as he would take care of any plant in his garden, Roth became increasingly invested in Maya as some of her personal life made its way to the gardens.

As their relationship evolved, they grew closer to one another and he discovered that he didn’t have to hide who he used to be from her anymore. Roth, meanwhile, was not the only character with secrets that were now out in the open. Defined by those secrets, this was meant to propel the final act of the film forward but the lack of character development on both of their parts gave off the impression that the writing did not understand these characters as individuals and therefore what to do after putting them together. While the contrast between Roth and Maya was ripe for deeper discussions, the film appeared disinterested in going down that path. Where it actually goes with it was okay albeit underwhelming as Roth took it upon himself to go back to the person he used to be, if only momentarily, and write some wrongs on her behalf. The wildcard in all of this was the temperamental Haverhill who hides her rage underneath her drawl as she kept up appearances to preserve her family’s name. Though there’s a backstory for this, Maya was essentially a trigger coming in between her relationship with Roth.

In the end, the performances make Master Gardener better than it would have been otherwise. As mentioned, Edgerton fits the mold of the charming anti-hero with layers of darkness faced with an extended period of self-reflection where he reflects on his past actions and regrets. In spite of its daker material, the film lacks an edge but he was still compelling to watch as he brought more depth and nuance to the character. In a limited role, Weaver was a scene-stealer with a divisive performance bordering on camp. Haverhill and Swindell’s Maya were both thin characters but when it came to the latter, her chemistry with Edgerton made for an interesting dynamic yet one that could have been so much more. More so than a character, Maya was a plot device to create some sort of redemption story for Roth that didn’t work.

At the end of the day, Master Gardener is a decent character thriller that could have been so much more had it had a better understanding of its characters and not taken on as many themes as it did. Edgerton brings it but it’s not enough.

still courtesy of VVS Films

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

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.