Maysville (2022) Film Review

Our main character in Maysville is held back by an incident that’s so horrific, it’s hard to understand how a film can actually take off after something like that. As a filmmaker you have a challenge in which you have to pursue a dramatic turning point that can redeem a character with a burden as heavy as that. Leslie Goyette achieves this goal with an ease that’s not as frequent in today’s cinema. It’s not that you easily forget the events of the past. It’s just that going forwards sometimes isn’t such a pretty picture. 

At least that’s what we get from Teddy Rogers, a boy who has lost his best friend Willy in an accident that could have been prevented. Distressed with guilt, Teddy absorbs the scrutiny from himself and also from everyone surrounding him. Willy’s father, an abusive monster, kidnaps Teddy and takes him away. His mother desperately tries to prevent this, but Teddy’s admission is hard to overcome.

Years go by, and Teddy is still in the grasp of an abusive relationship. Hard labor and violence are part of his everyday life until he decides enough is enough. He escapes to the town of Maysville where he finds love and an honest job. Nevertheless, inner demons are hard to let go. Teddy’s burden isn’t gone, and when people from his past show up, he decides to face them once and for all.

This coming-of-age film is filled with emotional ups and downs, and melodramatic crossroads. It’s exactly how a film like this should run. However, Maysville also plays in another territory, one that’s as risky as it is dissonant with the genre. Or at least, it appears to be. Goyette is decisive with her approach to make Maysville a slow-paced thriller that is never excessive in using the patterns of that genre. It’s just that Teddy’s character calls for this, and the director trusts herself enough to orient the film towards something more thrilling than you’d expect.

It wouldn’t work without the very good performances. From Forrest Campbell as Willy to Brian Sutherland as Buck, Willy’s father. They’re surprisingly precise in performances that aren’t quite reminiscent of indie cinema. You have a good director to thank for this. But it’s ultimately Kevin Mayr’s opportunity to shine. The young actor absorbs his role in an organic, almost too sincere fashion. When the film enters its third act, and his character calls for a change in his theme, Mayr dominates every scene he’s in. 

Maysville starts off as an innocent story and bluntly turns the tables into something darker and gloomy. But Goyette grabs the story and insists on the main character finding justice when he has to. At least she doesn’t overdo it with the drama and so Maysville strays away from a boring formulaic center. She actually lets go and breaks expectations. When the third act arrives and the film delivers its final twist, you will see what I mean. 

Set in Appalachia, Maysville is an honest rendition of a story with moral upsets that stays away from character complexity. It’s pretty simple if you think about it. It’s a story about growing up in the middle of hardship and tragedy. But it’s also a compelling film about being able to forgive what seems unforgivable. 

Maysville makes you feel things like films from back in the day did. I’m not familiar with Goyette’s intention with the script, but if it’s this she was aiming for, then she’s a winner, and I already want to see what she does next.

Federico Furzan

Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.