Blow The Man Down | Film Review

ReviewsFilm and TV

Oct 13

BLOW THE MAN DOWN

2020 | 1hr 31min | Rated R

Welcome to Maine. The small seaside town of Easter Cove, Maine to be precise. Blow The Man Down tells the tale of the Connolly sisters. Recovering emotionally from the death of their mother and facing an uncertain future in a town they can't seem to escape, they are at the end of the dock and a storm is brewing. After an encounter with a violent man ends more violently for him than them, the sisters find themselves wrapped up in small-town secrets and a dark history that reveals who is really in charge of Easter Cove.

This was an unexpected delight. I started watching this because of the excellent title font on the poster and my obsession with seafaring...anything, but the second it started up, with a dockload of shanty-singing fishermen I was all in.

It’s a weird little film and won’t be for everyone, with its neo-noir vibe and Coen Brothers-esque black humor, but it’s one of my favorite movies I’ve seen this year. Writer/Director duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy have a deft hand with framing a scene and capturing the stark beauty and weird close-knit communities of the northeastern coast.

The female-led ensemble is all excellent, especially Margo Martindale, who I adored in Sneaky Pete, as the owner of a BnB-turned-brothel. Oh, and it’s set in Maine and some of the actors even use a convincing accent!

Blow the Man Down is available to stream on Amazon Prime

This review was originally published in the print and digital version of Issue Two of Tabletops & Tentacles. Subscribe TODAY!

DISCLAIMER: This post and associated content may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission but you still pay the same price. This helps support the magazine, website and channel and allows us to continue to make content like this. Thank you for the support!

Kristopher McClanahan is an artist, soapboiler, author, podcaster and game designer living in Idaho. He is the creator of Tabletops & Tentacles and half of Deeply Dapper.