Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Hillbilly Elegy is an intensely frustrating piece of work. It's supposed to be some sort of tale of survival and family and... you know, I don't actually know. Instead it is a portrait of a lot of abuse that the film seems to want us to believe is not abuse but is just, like, family time. 

I think for me the problem here is that if you've spent any time with drug addicts in your life – or with any abuse, really – then this film will be triggering and painful. And if you haven't, then the film doesn't get you anywhere closer to understanding addictive behavior or economic hardship or the frustrations of young motherhood. 

I really loved Haley Bennett in this. And honestly Amy Adams is very good in Hillbilly Elegy, playing one of the true villains of 2020 cinema. This character is impossible to love.

I am just going to pretend that Glenn Close did not take part in this.

You can watch this on Netflix, but I wouldn't recommend that you choose to do that.