Writer/director Brett Wagner turns Big Bend National Park into a living, breathing character in the compelling drama, The Big Bend. The sense of disconnect from the world the landscape offers is the perfect backdrop for the story of two couples forced to confront issues within their marriages.
New Jerseyans Cory (Jason Butler Harner, Ozark) and Melanie Price (Virginia Kull, NOS4A2), along with their two young daughters, head to West Texas to reconnect with old friends. The Talbotts live in Terlingua, Texas on the outskirts of Big Bend National Park, but it might as well be on the moon; the area feels alien to what the Prices are used to. It’s undeniably beautiful, but there are threats nearby (including carnivores and snakes) that the Price kids haven’t experienced before.
However, those outside threats aren’t first and foremost on the minds of either Cory and Melanie or Mac (David Sullivan, Sharp Objects) and Georgia Talbott (Erica Ash, In Contempt). There are unsaid problems in both marriages, but this short vacation is meant as a way of setting those aside for just a little while to relax and enjoy good company.
Life comes at you hard and fast, and it’s important to relish the quieter moments. But it’s impossible to tamp down worries and concerns for long. Not even sharing a few days with close friends can push potentially life-changing decisions to the back burner, for Georgia Talbott in particular.
The undercurrent of anxiety that permeates the vacation getaway transitions into full-blown terror when the Prices’ youngest daughter, Fiona (Delilah Wagner), goes missing on a hike. Panic over her whereabouts pushes every other issue temporarily aside and it’s all hands (including the local police) on deck to locate the girl before it’s too late.
Toss into the mix the very real danger of an escaped convict in the area, and frantic doesn’t begin to describe what Cory and Melanie are going through as they do everything they can to find their little girl.
The adults are terrific but it’s young Delilah Wagner as Fiona and Nick Masciangelo as Karl the convict who share the most interesting scenes. There’s a strangely honest vibe between the old guy and the lost child that’s genuinely engaging. That’s not to say the rest of the cast aren’t first-rate; it’s just that there’s something really fascinating about the short but impactful relationship between Fiona and Karl.
There’s a lot to unpack in Brett Wagner’s The Big Bend. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, Wagner tosses in a grenade and blows up your expectations. The Talbotts and Prices are relatable and the situations both families find themselves in feel neither contrived nor forced – even in the film’s most intense, unexpected moments.
GRADE: B+
The Big Bend screened during the 2022 San Diego International Film Festival held October 19th through the 23rd. For more information on SDIFF, visit the festival’s official site.
