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Wikipedia refers to Carolina Caroline as a “Southern Gothic romantic crime thriller film,” a phrase I’m pretty sure won’t end up on any official movie posters but one that, I suppose, describes the picture accurately enough. About a beautiful gas station attendant who runs off with a con artist, their crime spree escalating in parallel with their romance, Carolina Caroline is sexy, moving, and alluring, a crime thriller that draws you in slowly even as it picks up speed.
As a crime thriller, Carolina Caroline works moderately well, but the conning and robberies are the least interesting aspect of the film.
Much of the movie revolves around Caroline’s (Samara Weaving) quest to find the mother who abandoned her and her father when she was young. When she finds her, the woman (Kyra Sedgwick) is not what she expected. Sedgwick is excellent in her limited screen time, and their shared scenes stand out as one of the film’s best.
Director Adam Rehmeier also steams things up by generating real sparks between Caroline and Oliver (Kyle Gallner). The two actors have great chemistry with each other, which helps elevate the material beyond standard crime pic.
It also helps that Weaving has never looked better. Just saying.
There’s nothing remarkably unique about Carolina Caroline, and it’s doubtful I’ll ever watch it again, but Rehmeier nonetheless has assembled a highly competent and fast-paced film worthy of attention. It’s the best Southern Gothic romantic crime thriller film I’ve seen in a while, at least.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.