What a beautiful movie!

Purely Joyful Movie!

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

You know what usually happens when you watch an indie movie with divided 1 star/5 star reviews on netflix... 90% of the time you watch it, it's a solid 2 star (rarely a 3) out of 5 and you don't even think about it again. The rest of the time it's something "interesting" - not necessarily great. Last night we watched "Rid of Me" a 2011 indie movie. I can't stop thinking about it all last night and today. It totally touched me (mostly by creeping me out). The film is about Meris, a socially awkward, shy young woman who is in love and moves with her all American jock boy type husband to his home town in Oregon where a group of his frat bro buddies and their wives await. The friends are annoying and crass, and she has some mental conditions (depression, social anxiety). Things don't go well in terms of Meris fitting in. When an old flame of the husband moves back to town, the marriage is soon on the rocks. She goes through some difficult stuff and then the movie is about "finding yourself". Cheap movie and production is pretty bad and throughout the first half at least I felt incredibly uncomfortable, but this is the intention and possibly even the point of the film. First it was interesting that the movie was about a woman and her journey. This woman was not presented as classically attractive, nor is she the life of the party by any means. It's rare to have this kind of character focused on. At the same time, the focus on this character is what makes the movie both uncomfortable and poignant. Personally, I could not relate to the title character, the meek Meris. How can someone be so hapless and direction-less? It seemed she had no autonomy as she was being carried into further and further horrific situations that gave her no respite from herself or from the mean people she dealt with. I realise she was not meant to be a realistic character but the way the film is shot you are following her all the time and you feel like shaking her up throughout the first half of the movie. Meris, how can you not protect yourself from going to those places? Don't you grow a backbone girl?? I just found my mind in a logical bind that a person would let themselves get into situations like that. Perhaps I am forgetting how you can be so naive when you're in stupid young love and at that point in life when you have not yet understood that people are weak and disappointing and you should always protect your back.And the backbone, she does indeed grow in her own way and with a lot of mess on the way, as we all do - well maybe a bit messier than average. We see Meris develop all the way to the act of extreme defiance she carries out in the opening scene of the movie, which where she walks up to a plastic blonde woman in a supermarket and does something shocking and defiant. (Side note: This act is probably one that is extremely feminine in some ways, but it struck me as a very male scene to write - I don't know if I am going to be able to explain this, it's just a subtle thing, almost like a man envisioned what Meris would do). The finding yourself part, the main theme of the film, is not all blood. There is comic relief, plus some high school regression, friendship, 90s style girl power, smoking, aging goth characters ; and all that stuff works in the end and you have weird friends and you laugh and you learn to accept yourself and not to let a man have control over who you can and cannot be.I find it a hard movie to recommend in an unqualified way because the movie is uncomfortable but if you want to try something different, it's worth checking this out.

I couldn't agree more with Sam Morgan's review of this dog of a movie and thank God someone has the guts to say it! This is the kind of movie that gives indie movies a bad reputation and drives audiences back to big box Hollywood movies where there's at least some real acting and talent on display. If the filmmakers had spent half as much time working on their feeble story and lame cast as they seem to be doing in promoting this drab excuse for a movie, it might have been worthwhile, at least indie worthwhile. These guys are just too old to be making movies that look like the work of film school dropouts. Certainly not worth ten bucks in this sick economy.

The characterization is VERY entertaining. Dawn is hilarious! My favorite line, 'I don't like people who are alternative,". Meris makes you pitiful...its such an amazing range, no other film has ever had such amazing characters. Katie O'Grady did a beautiful job, she's a natural actress. James Westby, a popular local filmmaker, took an extra step ahead to create this film. No other film competes on this level. Its very unique and portrays a different style of filmmaking. It makes me feel the way Meris is feeling, awkward, sad...angry. Thats how great it is, watching it is like a roller-coaster of emotions.IT WAS A LEGIT RIDE! Taking my friends when it comes out... Is it coming out..? thanks for having me to the screening.

I loved this movie. The movie starts with a scene that is so gross and disgusting… you immediately feel sympathy for the "victim" and wonder how someone could be so horrible to another human being. But then you are taken back to the beginning… way before the previous scene… to a time when everything was going well. It doesn't take long before you begin to like Maris and your feelings get all twisted inside. Who hasn't met the family or friends of a loved one and wonder if you could ever fit in… if they will like you? The music in this movie puts you on the edge of your seat, bracing you for the worst. You begin to realize that you are sympathizing for Maris and not her "victim." You are cheering for Maris. This movie plays on every emotion. Katie O'Grady is wonderful and James Westby has truly created some interesting characters and a great film.