Fantasia 2024: The G Review

Directed by: Karl R. Hearne
Written by: Karl R. Hearne

Starring:
Dale Dickey – Ann Hunter
Romane Denis – Emma
Bruce Ramsay – Rivera
Jonathan Koensgen – Ralph
Greg Ellwand – Chip
Roc Lafortune – Joseph
Joey Scarpellino – Matt
Daniel Brochu – Charles
Christian Jadah – Stranger

Image Credit: Fantasia IFF

Running Time: 99 minutes
Not Rated

Elderly badasses are having a moment at the cinemas. Not that that’s anything particularly new; after all, Liam Neeson and Clint Eastwood are just two of the male stars who have carved out whole segments of their careers with action-thrillers where they’re kicking ass past retirement age. But recent years have given women of a more mature age their time to shine. Thelma has been 2024’s most notable example, casting June Squibb in the unlikely role of action heroine to critical acclaim.

We can now add Dale Dickey to that list with The G, which screened at Fantasia International Film Festival on Friday. Karl R. Hearne gives the veteran character actor one of the best roles in her already-impressive career, putting her front and center in a tense and topical revenge thriller about a corrupt system that screws over the wrong woman.

Dickey plays Ann Hunter, a gruff, chain-smoking woman who lives with her ill husband Chip (Greg Ellwand). They’re estranged from Chip’s family, with the exception of Emma (Romane Denis), Chip’s granddaughter who calls Ann “The G” and goes with them to doctor’s appointments and such. Ann’s family is curiously out of the picture and apparently always has been, but Emma is a good counterpart to Ann’s cursing, hard-edged ways.

Things take a dark turn when Ann and Chip find themselves targeted by Rivera (Bruce Ramsay), a predatory businessman who uses the guardianship system to have them declared unable to care for themselves. They’re whisked away to a facility that acts more like a prison while Rivera and his group of thugs take over Ann and Chip’s assets. But he believes they have more money, and he wants it. What he doesn’t know is that attempts to do so will awaken something in Ann that they’re not ready for, as she and Emma team up to get her free of the facility and deliver some payback.

Hearse’s film is a taut thriller that touches on very real issues of elder abuse within the guardianship system in the United States. We’ve seen these issues addressed on-screen before in 2020’s I Care A Lot, but The G shows it from the other perspective – that of the victims. But in this cinematic fantasy, our victim is no wilting flower and Hearne’s noir-infused script adeptly positions Ann as someone who can fight back against the system and get what’s hers while giving the villains what’s coming to them.

It succeeds in massive part because of Dickey. Dickey is fantastically cast in the role of Ann, giving her the hard-edged, take-no-shit exterior but also investing a lot of empathy into the role. It’s harder for us to cheer for Ann’s path of revenge if we don’t see her pain, and Dickey wonderfully blends both sides of the character together.

That said, it is the dangerous side of Ann that brings the appeal here. Ann is smart, resourceful and ruthless, and Dickey makes it utterly believable and compelling as she unpeels the character bit by bit to let us know exactly why this woman is not to be messed with.

Hearne keeps the oppressive, cruel world of The G evident in every frame. This is neo-noir through and through, with a stark look thanks to cinematographer Vlad Horodinca and a tense, building score courtesy of Philippe Brault. But it’s also not without its humor, exemplified in Ann’s acerbic wit and her banter with both Emma and fellow resident-turned-ally Joseph (Roc Lafortune). There are some genuinely inspired quips, delivered with just the right amount of flippancy by Dickey to keep the film moving along as opposed to getting bogged down in the misery.

Much of the rest of the cast has less to do; this is unequivocally Dickey’s show (and deservedly so). The exception is Denis, who shines as Emma. Ann’s granddaughter is resourceful in her own ways, though she’s in way over her head in comparison to “The G” and Denis uses those elements to build a strong character who stands out in her own ways.

There are moments where the plot threatens to become a little too much, but it never goes over that edge. And even when it gets close, Dickey is there to keep us enthralled. It’s incredibly refreshing to see an older woman get to do what their male counterparts are getting to do, and Dickey makes it entirely believable. And while it’s not a film that necessarily invites a sequel, I don’t care. If we can get three Taken movies, I absolutely think we deserve another entry of The G doling out justice to assholes who think they can exploit defenseless grannies. And even if we don’t deserve it, Dickey certainly does.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal from July 18th through August 4th.

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Karl R. Hearne's crime thriller The G is a tightly-wound story addressing topical themes of elder abuse and smartly built around star Dale Dickey. Dickey shines in a badass role that she's perfectly suited for, delivering a compelling performance that elevates every aspect of the film. A solid supporting cast led by Romane Denis keeps things moving along and Hearne leans into his neo-noir elements for a film that deserves to land on Best Of lists once it gets arrives in theaters.