Watch Holler

Holler is a powerful independent drama film that revolves around the quest of a young woman named Ruth (Jessica Barden) to escape her impoverished and hopeless life in a dying American manufacturing town in southern Ohio. Ruth is a high school dropout who works in a scrap metal yard with her older brother Blaze (Gus Halper). Their father (Robert Longstreet) is in jail, and their mother Rhonda (Pamela Adlon) struggles with addiction and is unable to support them financially. Ruth is determined not to end up like her parents or trapped in the dead-end jobs that her peers have.

When Ruth is given a chance to study metallurgy at a local college through a federally funded retraining program, she sees it as her chance to break free. However, to pay for tuition and living expenses, Ruth has to resort to illegal work at a local scrapyard run by Hark (Austin Amelio), who is involved in metal theft and other criminal activities. Ruth's involvement with Hark leads her to confront her moral choices and her ambition to escape her circumstances.

The film is directed by Nicole Riegel, who grew up in the same region and draws inspiration from her personal experiences. The gritty and raw style of the movie reflects the poverty and desperation of the town, which is shown through evocative landscape shots and depictions of abandoned factories and homes.

The performances in the film are outstanding, especially Jessica Barden, who perfectly captures Ruth's quiet resilience and vulnerability. Pamela Adlon delivers a heartbreaking portrayal of Rhonda, a woman trapped in a cycle of addiction and poverty, who loves her children but cannot help them. Austin Amelio brings depth and complexity to Hark, a man with a criminal past who sees himself as a working-class hero.

The movie also explores themes of class and education, as Ruth navigates the different worlds of academia and the working-class. The contrast between Ruth's driven personality and the apathy of her classmates and Hark's crew is evident, and the film raises questions about the systemic issues that lead to poverty and limited opportunities.

Holler is a socially relevant and emotionally affecting movie that sheds light on the struggles of people living in the Rust Belt and other economically depressed regions of America. While it's a bleak and challenging story, it's also a hopeful one, showing how resilience and determination can overcome adversity. The movie has received praise for its authentic representation of the people and the place, and for its bold and intelligent storytelling.

In summary, Holler is a must-watch independent film that showcases the talents of its director and cast, while shining a light on important issues affecting many working-class Americans. It's a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant movie that deserves more attention and recognition.

Holler is a 2021 drama. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 76.