Mickey and the Bear

Annabelle Attanasio's 2019 American film is set in a small town in Montana. Mickey is in her last year of school and lives with her father, a man back from war, dependent on painkillers and unable to control his anger. She has to look after him, keep track of his medication and manage his crises, while also wanting to go to university and leave the town. The film does not turn that bind into a story of deliverance; it shows how his need for her becomes confused with love and why she finds it so hard to get out. The telling is quiet and rests on everyday detail. Camila Morrone plays the part without displaying fragility. It was made independently and is short. Who it's for: viewers who like quiet drama about addiction inside a family. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a comforting close; the film does not offer one.