Thunder (2023)

Elizabeth is called home from a convent. Sent away four years earlier when she was 12, by her father hoping that giving her to god would keep the family safe from tragedy. Unfortunately, Innocente, Elizabeth’s older sister died in a way no one wants to talk about what ever happened (there is an unnamed shame involved). As Elizabeth begins to help her family with life on the farm she searches with questions about her sister and with her own coming of age.

Religious mediation on life and belief THUNDER is a heady art film that feels like a cousin to some of the musings of Terrence Malick. It’s a look at someone trying to find their way in a repressed and oppressive society. Women are supposed to do as they are told and stay in their lane. Those that stray face dire consequences, including ending up wandering the landscape after their death, something Elizabeth’s sister is said to have been fated to do.

I liked THUNDER more than I loved it. It looks great, and it has some great moments, but it is a bit too dower and a bit too meditative for my tastes. Even in an age where religious thought is shaping society this view of the world is not something I could connect to emotionally. For me this was too much of head and not enough of the heart for my tastes. I never disliked it, I just kept wishing that I was emotionally connected to the film.

If you want a heady meditation on life or need something to fill the void until the next Malick comes out, then give THUNDER a shot.