‘Carolina Caroline’ Coasts of Pure Vibes and Charisma
Carolina Caroline is a good example of the type of film that knows the influences it’s built on and uses them to full advantage. Crime thrillers, both old and new, in one way or another, have deep roots in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, which revolutionized how we view the intertwining of sharply impactful thrills and biting commentary in American cinema.
In both drawn-out melodrama and on-the-run crime sprees, Carolina Caroline plays its obvious influences from the cinematic classic close to the chest, sometimes to its benefit, other times to slight detriment. Once you reach a certain point in its narrative, the film tends to lean more on the predictable side. This tendency often surrounds the highs and lows of the romance at its center, but Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner ooze with such effortless chemistry within their relationship that occasional, formulaic beats are never a true hamper.
With director Adam Rehmeier’s sun-baked southern landscapes side by side with the electric romance at its center, it’s hard not to be captivated by both the steamy flare and engrossing tragedy of this film.
What is Carolina Caroline about?
Carolina Caroline takes place around the 70s, following Caroline Daniels (Samara Weaving), a bright-eyed woman living in a small Texas town where she cares for her father (Jon Gries). Caroline has grown tired of her mundane life in her quaint city and dreams of seeing the world and finding her true self amongst the bigger aspects of life.
Caroline’s life seemingly takes the turn she’s been searching for when she falls head over heels in love with Oliver (Kyle Gallner), a con man she catches scamming her boss at a gas station over some classic change counting over the counter. After seeing past Oliver’s quick-change trick, the two hit it off almost immediately as star-crossed lovers. They decide to leave Caroline’s small-town life behind, with Caroline hoping to potentially find her estranged mother in South Carolina.
As the two travel across the South American landscape, Oliver begins teaching Caroline his slickly executed methods for conning, ranging from simple carjacking and pickpocketing to full-blown, elaborate escalations to only double to score. This eventually leads to the two executing a string of bank robberies, where Caroline walks in disguise, swiftly going in and out with a full bag of cash in hand. Of course, their con games inevitably go awry, but the true test ends up being just how strong their love is as they’re continuously pushed further on the run.
Weaving and Gallner carry the film’s riveting thrills and tender emotions
For what is essentially a revamp of the classic Bonnie and Clyde story, it’s crucial that the romance at its center works well enough that even derivative story beats still feel like poignant touchstones emotionally. Luckily, Weaving and Gallner are more than capable of pulling this off. Carolina Caroline plays into the utterly transfixing nature of Oliver and Caroline’s sizzling chemistry.
What’s even more impressive is just how much Weaving and Gallner elevate the motivations of their characters beyond what’s on the page. You’ll be able to easily buy into the effortlessly cool charms Gallner brings to Oliver, as he has cons and mind games mapped out for virtually any scenario. Weaving gives Caroline a soft and relatable vulnerability amidst the chaotic escapades that acts as the true core of the film.
At one point or another, we’ve all wanted to explore beyond what we’re all too familiar with. But once Caroline’s family drama with her long-lost mother comes into play within the film’s second half, Weaving excels at selling the pure heartbreak of her disconnected familial life and reasons for wanting to continue a life of crime. The two leads color in much of the gray area in between thinner areas of the screenplay; you’re always invested in their plights towards inevitable tragedy, no matter how many familiar routes the film takes to get there.
It only helps that Adam Rehmeier weaves in such a slick rhythm to the movie’s pace through crime after crime that makes the film’s presentation truly crackle. Carolina Caroline is more often than not at its strongest when Caroline and Oliver are just sliding across South America, robbing as many banks as they please. Montages of cons and country needle drops glide by both eyes and ears, creating a smooth atmosphere across every southern landscape. That’s only bolstered by the ever-dissolving roads our duo journeys through alongside a thumping score from Christopher Bear.
Final thoughts on Carolina Caroline
Carolina Caroline can get a bit too tied up within its own generic melodrama at crucial plot beats, and it isn’t taking that many swings within the confines of your average Bonnie and Clyde-inspired crime thriller. Luckily, the film can coast on a pure, slickly designed atmosphere and the endless charm of its two lead performances, making it an overly familiar yet sleekly designed and sincere picture.
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