United Kingdom
2019 97 mins OV English
Raising a child alone is never easy. Recently widowed young mother Sarah (MAYAN MC’s Sarah Bolger) is struggling to cope through uniquely harrowing circumstances, living in a rough neighbourhood that’s largely under the control of a cruel drug baron (WHITE LIGHTNIN’s Edward Hogg). Her son, Ben (Rudy Doherty), hasn’t spoken a word since the day he watched his father get knifed to death on their very estate. Dismissing the crime as thugs killing each other, Police haven’t done a thing to help, and Sarah’s very much on edge. One day, a local dealer (NOTES ON A SCANDAL’s Andrew Simpson) breaks into her home. He’s ripped off the neighbourhood kingpin and insists on stashing his take in her place. Fearful for the wellbeing of her son and having zero confidence in the police helping them, she allows him to. He keeps coming back. She doesn’t know what to do. But she’s got to do something.
Tense, well scripted and terrifically performed, A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND is a compelling variation on the “ordinary person caught in extraordinary circumstances” story repurposed through the prism of a vengeance thriller from the perspective of a strong female lead. It will have you on the edge of your seat and, we promise, it will surprise you. The stylish sophomore feature of British filmmaker Abner Pastoll following 2015’s ROAD GAMES, featuring a career-best performance from the IFTA award-winning Bolger, who brings so much power to the proceedings, the film grips hard with frighteningly desperate situations and unexpected bursts of violence, while keeping things tight and plausible. We’re thankful that we found A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND. When you catch your breath, you’ll be thankful too. – Mitch Davis
