I didn’t see this one coming. A suspense/thriller bordering on slasher film set in the world of country/western music? You know… that old chestnut. How many times do we have to watch a movie where aspiring country stars meet their childhood idol who turns out to be a wackadoo?

Just kidding… this is a pretty unique and surprisingly character-driven thriller. I really enjoyed the two lead actors playing a country duo and the drama that erupts when Katey Sagal enters the picture. Sagal plays the surviving half of an early 90s country duo who has been living in seclusion since her sister’s death. The two up-and-comers see a path to fame by working with this legend… the legend sees a less wholesome outcome.

I found the back and forth drama very compelling… and then the three-way drama as friendships start to fray. Sagal was great as this old Ms. Havisham country star… or maybe (as the younger girls noted) more of a Sunset Boulevard has-been. Either way, she was great as were the two younger cast members. They created a convincing pair with a blackness at the center of their friendship.

I think they made a mistake adding an eerie spectral vocalizations to the soundtrack as if they weren’t sure the movie was convincingly unnerving. I disagree. I thought it worked without the spooky.

I also wish the finale had been a little more convincing. It derives from the character drama but maybe there was one quick snap or change in personality that hadn’t quite been setup sufficiently. I’m probably wrong about and the natural progression was there and I just missed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this pick with only a few minor quibbles. It’d have scored even higher if they’d brought it all home in the final minutes. But it was solid throughout otherwise. I’m genuinely surprised… didn’t see a country singer slasher flick working but here we are, ya’ll.

Score: 86