Montauk77 (2022)

MONTAUK 77 is a new film that is being released this summer. I was asked to take a look at the film in advance of the release. I fell in love with the film and I asked director Michael Scully if it would be okay if posted the review as soon as possible. He said yes and so, several months in advance, here is some thoughts on a sweet little film you need to have on your radar.

A young woman hires a ride share driver to take her to Montauk Point to dispose of her mother’s ashes.  Things however become complicated when a plan is hatched to rob a bank.

Okay full disclosure- despite the plot to rob a bank this is not a crime film.  I mention this because trying to explain the plot  makes it sound like this is going to be some grand caper film. And while that’s in there. This really a character driven film that will charm the pants off of you.  

Writer/Director and star Michael Scully and his co-writer and co-star (and daughter) Michayla have crafted a sweet little film that will make you smile.  Essentially a two-hander, the film is firmly focused on two lost souls connecting. 

What I love is that the Scully's keep the emotion realistic. There are no melodramatic turns that are there just to show off acting. Instead this is a film where we lean in because we are invested in the characters. We watch because we like the people on screen so we want to hang out with them. To be certain some of the turns are a little  too neat or exist to move things along, however at the same time they make perfect sense within the structure of the story.

If you are a regular reader of Unseen Films you know  I normally will quibble about something in a film, I really can’t here. Sure there are little bumps, but the truth is once the story is in motion it pretty much goes straight on to the end in the  best sort of a way pulling us along. Because we are so focused on the two Scully’s we don’t want to look away and we don’t care about any bumps enough to take points away.

This is a lovely cinematic smile of a film and is recommended when the film opens in the summer.