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Palm Trees and Power Lines

Play trailer 2:17 Poster for Palm Trees and Power Lines R 2023 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Seventeen-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny) spends her summer break aimlessly tanning in her backyard with her best friend, tiptoeing around her needy mother, and getting stoned with a group of boys from school. This monotony is interrupted by a chance encounter with Tom (Jonathan Tucker), an older man who promises an alternative to Lea's unsatisfying adolescent life. But as things progress between them, red flags about Tom's life begin to surface, and Lea chooses to ignore them. Under Tom's influence, Lea begins to see her mom as unfit and her friends as a waste of her time. Isolated from those around her, Lea discovers Tom’s true intentions and finds herself in a situation that she never could have imagined.
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Palm Trees and Power Lines

Palm Trees and Power Lines

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Critics Consensus

Palm Trees and Power Lines tells a difficult story with searing skill -- and marks Lily McInerny as a young actor with brilliant potential.

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Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi New York Magazine/Vulture 03/08/2023
The relationship McInerny and Tucker build is so convincing in its mixture of exploitation and yearning that Palm Trees and Power Lines capably secures what Lea desires most too: your attention. Go to Full Review
Richard Brody The New Yorker 03/07/2023
Dack seems to have forced a copious personality—whether her own or Lea’s—into a framework that fits it poorly. When the payoff comes, it’s too little and late. Go to Full Review
Katie Walsh Tribune News Service 03/06/2023
3/4
It’s a bold, bleak and unapologetic work exposing inescapable truths about the world, about sex and relationships and power. Go to Full Review
Brittany Patrice Witherspoon Pop Culture Reviews 07/22/2024
As far as criticizing the way in which the outside world condemns thee inappropriate relationship that evolves within this film, the script and direction is severely lacking. Go to Full Review
Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) 02/13/2024
This is a delicate drama that tackles grooming and sex trafficking with a deft hand. Go to Full Review
Noah Gittell Washington City Paper 01/03/2024
When you get to the horrifying climax, it’s both unthinkable and inevitable. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Carolina G @Sheccid 22h This film was raw, emotional and I just wanted to scream at Leah’s mom. It touched a hard subject but the director’s approach was so tasteful. The character development was immaculate and whoever played Leah did a fantastic job. This film leaves you thinking about how many young girls have fallen into human trafficking because of lack of parental attention, or lack of self esteem and being gullible. I just want to extend my heartfelt hopefulness to the families that are going through a situation like this, and to the women going through it, may you find the strength to continue and leave a situation like that behind. See more wonderment100 T @Wonderment 1d The film was a powerful and unsettling experience deep, dark, and at times genuinely warped in a way that lingered long after it ended. What stood out most was how unpredictable the conclusion felt. I didn’t see it unfolding the way it did, and that unexpected ending made the emotional impact even stronger. Leah’s character was portrayed with striking realism. While part of me wished she had responded differently or shown a bit more strength in certain moments, that frustration actually speaks to how authentic her portrayal felt. She wasn’t written as a perfectly aware or empowered character; she felt like a real teenager navigating complicated emotions and blurred boundaries. The dynamic between Leah and her mother added another layer of complexity. I found myself torn—part of me blamed the mom, while another part deeply sympathized with her. She seemed to be trying her best, yet there was a noticeable emotional distance from the start. Their relationship felt strained. See more Alain E @AlainE Feb 19 What was it that I just watched? And how this thing got 90% approval from the professionals? An older adolescent girl starts an ill advised relationship with a much older man. In this day and age she never tries to find out why a supposedly successful professional lives in a seedy motel. After the phase of candy and roses is over, he reveals his intent to be her pimp. The first encounter in her new role is quite traumatic, but ultimately she decides to continue with her "boyfriend ". From what we have seen she is not a school dropout, neither stupid. The conclusion is thus that middle class adolescent white girls have deficient judgment. Approval is almost unanimous. See more 03/12/2024 Fair to say the least. Both actors are solid even if this premise is too familiar and very uncomfortable. Yet it is a pure example of why grooming is so difficult to watch and realize it’s in front of our faces. Age difference is one thing but there’s truly some things younger people are not ready for out there in the real world. A lot of long shots and some lackluster pacing, although this is a very realistic look at the struggles of supposed love, power, and sexual control. Clearly teenagers and adults should stick to their own lanes. See more Spring H 01/02/2024 Wow. This was at times quite difficult to watch. At 17 I also was involved with a 30+ year old man and ignored all the red flags. thank god it ended differently. While in college I learned that maybe as high as 50% of my college friends had been I similar relationships. It was quite heart wrenching to watch this unfold, especially given where it leads to… See more Dana K @goodgrief2 01/02/2024 Hard to watch but awesome portrayal. Those who don't understand the girl not running away or missing him don't know the desperation of a damaged person. Also, razvan's and especially Greg's review of this movie here are frightening… See more Read all reviews
Palm Trees and Power Lines

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Movie Info

Synopsis Seventeen-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny) spends her summer break aimlessly tanning in her backyard with her best friend, tiptoeing around her needy mother, and getting stoned with a group of boys from school. This monotony is interrupted by a chance encounter with Tom (Jonathan Tucker), an older man who promises an alternative to Lea's unsatisfying adolescent life. But as things progress between them, red flags about Tom's life begin to surface, and Lea chooses to ignore them. Under Tom's influence, Lea begins to see her mom as unfit and her friends as a waste of her time. Isolated from those around her, Lea discovers Tom’s true intentions and finds herself in a situation that she never could have imagined.
Director
Jamie Dack
Producer
Leah Chen Baker, Jamie Dack
Screenwriter
Jamie Dack, Audrey Findlay
Distributor
Momentum Pictures
Production Co
Neon Heart Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 3, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 3, 2023
Runtime
1h 50m
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