Four

Based on the play by award-winning playwright Christopher Shinn, FOUR is an extraordinary portrait of four individuals on a balmy 4th of July evening. Joe, expertly acted by Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme), is a middle-aged gentleman on a date with a young man named June, who he met online. Abigayle (the captivating Aja Naomi King) is Joe's teenaged daughter, precocious and stuck in a life between her secretive father and bed-ridden mother. Looking for escape, Abi sneaks out with Dexter, an intrepid yet alluring boy from her school, and the two awkwardly search for a connection. Meanwhile, across town Joe is looking for companionship with the closeted June, who seems to be searching for direction. Both Joe and Abi find their release in their respective partners for the night. But they soon realize that escape from their realities isn't easy and, no matter how entrenched you get, you must always return home. Sultry, explosive, and bracing, FOUR is superb storytelling and splendid filmmaking. – T.W.