SECRETS & LIES // A FILM REVIEW OF "BLOW THE MAN DOWN"
NOTE: This review was originally presented as part of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival coverage. It is now reprinted for the digital release.
Lost somewhere along many of small towns are secrets. Some not so impressive, some that will never be told, and some that the entire town seems to be in on. That last description can describe the Maine fishing town that BLOW THE MAN DOWN takes place in. It’s a town lost in time and one that’s not begging to be found.
The Connolly sisters (Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor) are here for their Mother’s funeral. Priscilla (Lowe) is the good girl, determined to keep the family’s name strong in this town. Mary Beth (Saylor) is a woman who can’t be pinned down and although she was there for her Mother in the end, she’s ready to hit the road. Their Mother’s best friends (June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, Marceline Hugot) are a trio of older women who seems light and innocent but hold a lot of power in this town. A friend from their younger days, the always electric Margo Martindale, own the town brothel and seems indebted to the women.
However, that’s all just the backing of the town’s story. The plot of the film kicks in when Mary Beth ends up going home with a guy whose bad news and attacks her. When he ends up dead, the sisters devise a cover-up, which sets all the pieces in motion. And that’s not even the only dead body that appears. This quiet, innocent town is anything but, and the ghosts of the past can’t stay buried for long. The entire cast are sly, moody, and overall perfect. Danielle Krudy & Bridget Savage Cole’s script is punctuated with great dialogue and a whip smart plot that keeps you intrigued, as long as you keep paying attention. BLOW THE MAN DOWN takes the typical elements of a mystery and twists them around, making them feel fresh and unsettling. It’s a sharp film, one that will linger with you, long after the fog clears away. GRADE: A WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy STARRING Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale, June Squibb, Annette O'Toole, Marceline Hugot. NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON Amazon Prime.