Hick (2012)

Hick has a scrappy, sunburnt kind of electricity: a coming-of-age road movie that feels less like a neat adventure and more like a bruised postcard from the American margins. Chloë Grace Moretz anchors it with a performance that’s all nerve and wounded resolve, making Luli’s toughness feel earned rather than cute, while Blake Lively and Eddie Redmayne drift in like dangerous weather systems you can’t quite look away from. Derick Martini shoots the wide, empty landscapes with a quiet ache, and the writing slips in sharp, sometimes darkly funny observations that keep the film from wallowing. It’s not for viewers who want tidy catharsis or a comforting tone, but if you’re drawn to gritty character pieces with strong acting and a restless, offbeat vibe, it’s an intriguing ride.

Hick is aiming for a gritty, small-town-to-the-open-road coming-of-age story, with a young girl trying to outsmart a world full of predators and bad choices. The problem is it can’t decide what it wants to be—dark drama, offbeat comedy, or edgy thriller—so the tone lurches around and the “shocking” moments can feel less insightful than uncomfortable. Some viewers will find the setup and relationships discomfiting in a way that reads as exploitative rather than purposeful, which makes it hard to invest even when the cast is clearly trying. If you’re looking for a coherent character-driven journey or anything resembling fun, this probably isn’t for you, but if you can stomach messy, abrasive indie filmmaking, you might appreciate the raw performances and bleak atmosphere.