Adam Carter Rehmeier is back after his hit Snackshack in 2024, and he is reuniting with Kyle Gallner for an adrenaline-infused cross-country crime love story. Rehmeier earned his popularity by twisting simple, established stories, and Carolina Caroline is no different.
The new film, which had its Chicago premiere at the Chicago Critics Film Festival this week, follows Caroline (Samara Weaving), who meets Oliver (Gallner) at a small-town gas station in the middle of nowhere, Texas. A romance sparks instantly as Oliver shows Caroline how to pull off cons across the country, while Caroline is trying to find herself. It is a structure we have seen countless times before, and Rehmeier follows the formula, although with a few twists along the way.
I am not particularly a fan of Rehmeier’s delivery of this story, as Carolina Caroline too easily falls into the structure and tropes of films just like this. Alongside Snackshack, Rehmeier’s films fall into the same category of predictability, as the beats and main plot progressors in each film are hallmarks for their respective genres. I am not saying it is inherently a bad thing that directors follow the confines of genre, but it is what they do differently within those confines that makes stories like this stand out. But Rehmeier doesn’t add anything different to Carolina Caroline. The love story, the crime beats, and the ideas of whether you are a “good” person for committing these crimes against “bad” people are consistent staples in the genre. It makes you immediately realize where this story will end up.
With that said, the performances by Gallner and Weaving are what keep this movie from falling apart completely. Their chemistry is incredible, and at times, you could really believe it was all happening in real time. I wasn’t blown away by every technical element behind the camera, but compared to Snackshack, it is a vast improvement. There are a lot of creative shots in the back half that surprised me, especially a scene in a bar during the third act.
I seem to be in the minority about how general audiences — and even some critics — feel about the familiarity with Rehmeier’s films. What is wrong with hitting the usual beats inside the genre tropes? Many people enjoy similar stories, and in a way, I do as well. For a story like this and a genre that is known for these beats, though, I expected there to be more switch-ups than the minor ones we get. What makes it even harder to stomach is that Rehmeier has the talent to make movies — no question about it. It would be interesting to see him do his own thing without the confines of a genre or structure.
It does raise an interesting question: on paper, Carolina Caroline is an original film not based on IP, a book, or a previous film; it’s more of an homage to those Bonnie-and-Clyde-type films. It is up to your interpretation if you consider a film that is heavily influenced by others “original.” After all, it isn’t like Rehmeier is the first director to make a movie like this. We have seen countless films come out in the past five years that are wholly unique stories within the confines of genre, which is why it is so frustrating to see Rehmeier stay in such a similar lane.
I do have to give him and this script flowers, though, for the one small change they make in the third act with Gallner’s character. For much of the film, he does what you would expect. That is, until the very end, where he subverts expectations. You can feel the love he has for Weaving’s. He seems like he would do anything to protect himself if it came down to it, and I must applaud Rehmeier and his team for subverting that expectation.
Carolina Caroline is not all bad; the performances and work behind the camera help get this over the crutch that the story puts it in. Rehmeier has the talent and the eye, but I just want him to broaden his script selection and branch out beyond the writing he has done previously. He seems to have a great working partnership with Gallner, and I hope they decide to make more movies together. It is great to see Rehmeier tackle different genres in his films rather than stick to one. Although it makes me wonder: is it truly noteworthy to be able to jump from genre to genre if you are just going to do the basics of each one you try to tackle?
Review Courtesy of Jacob Diedenhofer
Feature Image Credit to Magnolia Pictures