Miller’s Girl – An On The Fence Thriller (Early Review)

Miller’s Girl centers around Cairo Sweet (Ortega), a talented young writer who embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher Jonathan Miller (Freeman) assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex situation. As lines begin to blur and their lives start to intertwine, both professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear. The film had all the makings to be a really thought-provoking, controversial, and layered psychological thriller and though it’s definitely one of the more interesting films of the year so far, it’s a mixed bag that doesn’t amount to much nor warrant anywhere near the level of negative attention it has gotten.

The best thing about Miller’s Girl is easily the lead performances from Ortega and Freeman. Ortega absolutely commands the screen, giving a daring performance unlike anything audiences have ever seen from her before as Cairo. Though it’s a darker and more challenging role, she crushes it and it is honorable to still see her take rolls in these smaller films as her stardom only continues to grow by the day. Freeman is great as always as Miller, portraying a complex and flawed character. The chemistry between Ortega and Freeman is strong, selling a professor and protégé relationship that only grows over the course of the film. The cinematography is another highlight, featuring certain scenes shot to look dreamy and enchanting and others to look grim and haunting, capturing the setting in a highly impressive way. However, it’s a shame that the script and storytelling couldn’t match up.

Getting off to a promising start in terms of set up, the film never really goes anywhere of value after that opening act before ending on a rather disappointing and abrupt note. The writing is the film’s biggest issue as some of the dialogue is at times cringeworthy and at other times, lines feel like they were written by someone just trying to be edgy or risky for the sake of it. This story itself has subject matter that might upset or make audiences uncomfortable but for how much of an uproar its first trailer caused when it first dropped, it plays things shockingly safe and barely even scratches the surface regarding its more controversial themes and elements. The film could have been even more twisted and taken its dark story even further. However, for some reason, it decides to settle on the safest and least interesting option which makes all the fuss behind it seem pointless in retrospect. While it is technically a thriller, it doesn’t generate very much in the way of thrills or tension despite having quite a few opportunities to do so.

For everything the film attempts to cover its brief 93-minute running time, it feels a bit overstuffed as certain characters and storylines are barely developed or given hardly any focus or screen time at all. Adlon, and Bashir Salahuddin are given a decent amount of screen time but are hardly given anything to do as they are essentially relegated to the typical friend role which is a waste of their talents, especially considering the potential of their characters. While the film is decent enough through its first two acts, the third act and all it has to offer becomes all the more disappointing as the better movie is there and trying to come out.

At the end of the day, had Miller’s Girl fully committed to the darkness of its premise or had a more experienced and risk-taking filmmaker at the helm, it could have been something truly special. Ultimately, the film feels derivative of countless other similar psychological thrillers, all of which have left a bigger impression than this one does. Though it may be a decent enough one time watch for fans of these types of films, it’s also hard not to see all of its wasted potential and the missed opportunities to make it into something more.

still courtesy of Lionsgate

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/