Lake George
Written and Directed by Jeffrey Reiner
Starring Carrie Coon, Shea Whigham, Max Casella, Glenn Fleshler
Unrated
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
In theaters December 6

by Shah, Staff Writer

Jeffrey Reiner’s Lake George feels like a throwback movie in the sense that we rarely get these types of small-scale noir thrillers anymore. In under two hours, this dark, yet charming film is carried by two amazing leads. Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon play two middle-aged criminals trying to have their big escape from this world of gangsters they’ve stuck their nails into for years. 

There is plenty to dissect as to why movies like these aren’t the main attraction in movie theaters anymore. Is it because the market for such films is so limited? We’re oversaturated with bigger budget films with bigger spectacles so who knows for sure. But when we do get something like this, it is always a joy to me. There’s such a nostalgic feel to this film that I think Jeffrey Reiner captured perfectly. With the original score that just hits like a noir story, Whigham with his scruffy voice as he goes through tests of morality, and Coon playing the most charming character ever but with her own set of goals and agenda—it all adds up to a tight, though not unfamiliar, effective and satisfying modern-day crime thriller. 

Don, played by the extraordinary Shea Whigham, has just been released from jail after 10 years. His relationship with his ex-wife and kids is down the drain, he has no sense of purpose in life, and it seems like there’s nothing for him. Due to this uncertainty and empty void in his life, he goes to Armen (Glenn Fleshler), a mob boss whom he has a history with. Right off the bat, we enter the criminal element of the story. Glenn Fleshler–not a stranger in this type of role and world (see: Joker, Barry, Boardwalk Empire)–is the exact person you need to truly start the engine in this story. The moment he pops up, the film finds its purpose and identity. What’s Don gotta do for Armen? It’s simple, really, he has to kill Armen’s former lover Phyllis (Carrie Coon). Obviously, he doesn’t end up doing it. Instead, Don and Phyllis form an unlikely alliance and try to get Armen back by stealing his money. Here is where their journey truly begins and boy is it a bumpy ride.

Carrie Coon is just an absolute delight. Anyone familiar with her body of work knows that she’s always at the top of her game, playing the most fascinating and entertaining characters ever. It’s no exception here. Her chemistry with Shea Whigham carries the film. It’s like he’s a character from Chinatown who has to deal with a Fargo character with Phyllis. It’s two different sides and clashes of tones amidst this one gigantic crime thriller setting, and somehow it works superbly well.

While the stakes are relatively low, there are a handful of tense and gruesome scenes that caught me off guard. As they rob stash houses, there’s always something in their way that ends up being a huge problem and the big question is how they’re going to overcome them. The more time spent with our two leads, the more we learn about them. And we begin to wonder if these people deserve their big escape. Do they deserve a life where they don’t have to look over their shoulders? We also come to a realization that no amount of money will ever fix what they’ve done in the past, but it’s a story about redemption and trying to overcome their guilt. Whigham and Coon express these emotions expertly in their more quiet and tender scenes, particularly one moment in a motel where they just talk about their lives. There’s a strong sense of wonder in their eyes as if they actually start to care for each other. Are they going to end up riding off into the sunset together? Or will one of them betray the other? Or are they both going to get caught in the end? It’s the kind of questions you find yourself asking in these crime thrillers and it’s so incredibly exciting.

While not perfect in any sense—I do think a better pacing is needed— I’m glad this exists.  It’s a shame that there’s not much hunger for these types of films anymore because if there was more platform and wider distribution for films like Lake George, theaters would have a more vibrant and interesting run of showings. Would it make more money than the other big spectacle films? Perhaps not. Just like the narrative in all these crime thrillers and stories of gangsters, con artists, and mob bosses, it’s always about the money. 

“For a little bit of money? There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day.” –Fargo, 1996