Holler

Despite its crumbling industrial backdrop, HOLLER is awash in cool, rich colors. Shot in gorgeous 16mm, director Nicole Riegel returned to her hometown of Jackson, Ohio in the dead of winter to capture her raw, semi-autobiographical debut. The harsh realities of class mobility in America surface as a young woman arrives at a crossroads. High school senior Ruth (The End of the F***ing World’s Jessica Barden) is exceedingly bright, but she struggles to prioritize school while working to support her family. With their mother (Pamela Adlon) in jail, Ruth and her tireless older brother accept jobs at a dangerous scrapyard that involves illegally stripping abandoned factories for valuable metal. After getting accepted to a college she can’t afford, Ruth must choose between risking it all for an education or accepting the life her family has always known. By rejecting outdated concepts of the “noble” laborer, Riegel trades an often romanticized view of the working poor for one of nuance, empathy, and respect. Through its candid script, strong sense of place, and authentic performances, HOLLER is a stark but heartfelt portrait about breaking the intentionally vicious cycle of American poverty. — D.O.