Nowadays, it’s hard to come by a romantic crime thriller that balances meaningful character work with a memorable setting and aesthetic. Enter Adam Carter Rehmeier and his follow-up to Dinner In America (2020), Carolina Caroline. Titled after the Jonathan Edwards song of the same name, the film follows the bright-eyed budding con artist Caroline Daniels (Samara Weaving) as she travels across the American South with her newfound lover and partner in crime, Oliver (Kyle Gallner). 

The greatest strength of Carolina Caroline, which premiered at TIFF 2025 this month, is that it doesn’t try to be anything more than it is. The simple plot would typically be barren, but the hard work of its leads makes the film pop with character. Weaving and Gallner are bar-for-bar, sharing some of the most exciting chemistry I have seen in a film in a very long time. Many shots consist of the two sharing longing, passionate gazes, and it honestly made me and other audience members blush at points. The cast, and how well these two leads play off of each other, is what this film will, perhaps, be most remembered for.

Weaving portrays Caroline with a subtle innocence that is gradually lost throughout the film’s duration. Caroline has prospects of a life outside of crime despite her actions, a conflict that Weaving’s wide-eyed performance exhibits exceptionally well, even as Caroline robs banks and puts herself and Oliver in danger. While Weaving does nothing groundbreaking in terms of the type of role she plays, her performance is striking and memorable as a woman on the run with dreams of her own.

Gallner, meanwhile, does not tread new water either, but portrays Oliver’s infatuation with Caroline with an earnest desire. He notices and exploits the smallest of details in their work, all in an effort to make Caroline happy. I was expecting Oliver to double-cross Caroline at some point in the film, but Gallner’s performance as Oliver is so strong that the audience never once has to question Oliver’s motives. He truly does love Caroline.

The technical aspects of the film are also striking. Carolina Caroline is filled with montages and vignettes that maintain audience attention while propelling the story forward. This is all complemented by amazing music choices that echo the aesthetic of the modern American South, and, to top it all off, the film is incredibly colorful. Rehmeier exhibits the desire for more than Caroline and Oliver drive around the country in search of, against a stunning backdrop of Americana aesthetics.

Ironically, since it premiered at TIFF, Carolina Caroline is one of the most earnestly American films I have seen in years. Its commitment to capturing the sweltering heat of the American South with a stellar screenplay and wonderful performances by Weaving and Gallner makes Carolina Caroline one of the biggest surprises at the festival. When it releases in theaters, I will be first in line to experience it again.

Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain

Feature Image Courtesy of TIFF