Flora and Son

Directed by John Carney

★★★★

Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "Flora and Son," premiering September 29, 2023 on Apple TV+.

Since the release of his film Once, in 2007, John Carney has established himself as an indie-directing staple, consistently weaving thematics of music with the human condition. Through his following films, Begin Again and Sing Street, as well as his work on the Amazon series Modern Love, inspired by the New York Times column, his comprehension of soul is consistently ever-present throughout his work. Carney’s latest, Flora and Son, is no exception.

Encroaching on self-destruction, Flora (Eve Hewson) is a single mother living in Dublin, attempting to find a solution to her son, Max’s (Orén Kinlan), rebellious nature while simultaneously attempting to keep her somewhat-estranged ex involved in his son’s life, and attempting to find meaning in her own.

In what could be an oversaturated and schmaltzy set-up, Carney finds genuine humanity in his characters, fueling a viewing that is at all times realistic, emotional, and effective. His knack for a slow start to his films is continued here, but rather than boring exposition or forced character development, Carney allows the viewer to familiarize themselves with the characters and find a throughline of relation to them so that by the time the credits roll, they find themselves silenced by a musical piece that keeps the plot moving forward, long after the film’s cut to black.

The film would absolutely not work at being as emotionally effective as it strives to be without Hewson’s gripping and emotionally charged performance. She finds rawness and vulnerability even through her contempt, creating a space for the film to establish emotional resonance and depth. Hewson is held up by strong supporting performances from both Kinlan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as her sincere, melomaniac guitar instructor.

Flora and Son also delivers on its music anticipations that Carney created after his past few films. The movie delivers emotionally resonant pieces from its characters while also conforming to a genre that is appropriate to them. This isn’t a routine narrative undermined by a bubble-gum pop soundtrack, but rather a still, character study expressing truths through the way of Indie Bedroom Pop, with a somewhat New Wave Punk throughline.

Overall, John Carney’s Flora and Son delivers not only on expectations from the material that preceded it but builds upon that, leaving you watching the credits through well-earned, cathartic tears.

Flora and Son will be released in select theaters nationwide on September 22nd and drop on Apple TV+ on September 29th.