Watch Tater Tot & Patton

Tater Tot & Patton, a 2017 independent film starring Jessica Rothe, Bates Wilder, and Forrest Weber, is a classic tale of two lost souls finding solace in each other's company. The movie opens with Andie, played by Rothe, leaving her life in Los Angeles behind to spend the summer on a remote farm in South Dakota with her Uncle Erwin (Bates Wilder). Andie, a drug-addicted young woman, is seeking an escape from her tumultuous past and believes the serene, isolated farm will provide her with the peace and quiet she needs to clear her head.

Once she arrives, Andie quickly meets the farm's caretaker, a young, reserved man named Roy (Weber), who spends most of his days tending to the farm's many animals. Despite their initial awkwardness around each other, Andie and Roy slowly form a connection over their shared feelings of loneliness and isolation.

As the summer wears on, Andie and Roy spend more and more time together, exploring the rugged beauty of South Dakota and learning more about each other's troubled pasts. Through their conversations, Andie begins to confront some of the demons that led her down the path of drug addiction and starts to find a new sense of purpose in her life.

Meanwhile, Roy opens up to Andie about his own struggles, including the recent death of his brother and his uncertain future on the farm. The two bond over their mutual love of music, with Roy playing guitar and Andie singing, and the scenes of them performing together are some of the movie's most touching.

However, just as Andie starts to feel like she's finally found a sense of peace and belonging, she receives some devastating news from back in Los Angeles. With her world turned upside down once again, Andie is forced to confront her past and decide whether to continue down the path she's been on or make a fresh start with the newfound clarity she's gained over the summer.

Tater Tot & Patton is a slow-burning, introspective film that takes its time developing its characters and their relationships. The performances from Rothe, Wilder, and Weber are all standout, particularly Rothe as the troubled Andie, who manages to make her character sympathetic and relatable despite the mistakes she's made in her life.

The film is also notable for its stunning cinematography, with director Andrew Kightlinger making excellent use of the natural beauty of South Dakota's Black Hills region to create a sense of both serenity and unease. The sparse, haunting score by composer Casey James also adds to the film's melancholy yet hopeful tone.

At its core, Tater Tot & Patton is a movie about the power of human connection in the face of adversity. It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there's always someone out there who can help us find our way back to the light.

Tater Tot & Patton is a 2017 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5.