The intersection of crime and romance can create some great cinematic drama, and it’s a well still worth going back to, as this film shows.
“Carolina Caroline” is a road trip flick centering on the titular character played by Samara Weaving. Caroline is a young woman from a small Texas town where she lives with her dad and works at a service station. Someday, she’d like to leave home and visit South Carolina to finally meet her estranged mom, but hasn’t taken steps to do so.
That changes when she meets Oliver (Kyle Gallner), a traveling hustler who runs small money scams to keep moving on the road. The two hit it off after meeting and decide to travel together, with Caroline learning the scams on the way to Carolina. As they travel, their outlaw activities get more daring.
In the movie “Tombstone,” when describing the antagonist Johnny Ringo, Doc Holiday says he has a black hole that he can’t fill and that he wants revenge for being born. To an extent, that’s a similar situation for the character Caroline in this movie. Even before some important revelations are made in the film, it’s clear she holds some underlying anger in how her life went.
As a result, her turn to crime feels like a natural outlet for her animosity toward how circumstances set up the life she has. It’s an interesting dynamic that plays well with her counterpart, Oliver, who has a cynical view of the world’s capitalistic system and sees his way of getting by as simply another cog in the giant machine.
It gives some meaning for the duo, and viewers can understand the drive behind their exploits. That doesn’t mean their criminal behavior is simplified to just those two themes, though. There is an outlaw freedom vibe with what they’re doing, their schemes are exciting and sexy, and it comes with an attitude.
They’re not a clean-cut, Robin Hood type. There’s some nuance to their adventure, making for an entertaining feature with edge. The film also digs into the mental toll their line of “work” can lead to, as well as how situations can spiral out of one’s control.
Beyond the film’s crime drama elements, it also works, for the most part, as a Sun Belt love story. The movie has a fair share of both romance and humor, all presented with a Southern charm. The writing is also clever, with a country, folksy twang to it.
Samara Weaving, who’s previously been featured in thrillers such as “The Babysitter” and “Ready or Not,” does impressive work in this flick. Her portrayal of Caroline’s transformation from a young woman with nowhere to put her energy to a savvy, wiser self is quite good, and she’s especially impressive during the film’s most emotionally charged scene.
Gallner, meanwhile, who was prominently featured in 2022’s horror “Smile,” gives one of the better performances of his career. He’s properly charismatic and confident as one would expect with his character, while also showing how Oliver has a darker side underneath. His chemistry with Weaving was also strong, powering the core relationship.
At an hour and 45 minutes, “Carolina Caroline” doesn’t over stay its welcome, but it feels like some things were left unfinished, too. The movie could have fleshed out some matters in the third act for an overall stronger finale. It’s a strong movie, but lacks a bigger push for a narratively richer experience in its latter half. Still, what is there is largely enjoyable for a breezy romantic crime adventure. 4 out of 5.
Photo courtesy Magnolia Pictures
