'Frybread Face & Me' A Review

Frybread Face & Me is a coming-of-age drama about Benny(Keir Tallman) a young boy living in San Diego sent to spend the summer with his Grandma(Sarah H. Natani) on the Navajo reservation in Arizona where he meets and befriends his cousin Dawn(Charley Hogan) aka Frybread Face.

Tallman and Hogan are a bit rough around the edges in their performance, occasionally a bit stilted, but they have moments of real heart and authenticity, overall it works and the scope of the film- small, casual, day-in-the-life- helps them to get where they need to be, to find those moments of connection and transcendence. The supporting cast are all solid particularly Natani who is absolutely sensational, she steals the show in a similar way that Youn Yuh-jung did in 2021's Minari although its doubtful she'll get the same award buzz(but she should).

Visually the film is simple but evocative, the desert, the home where much of the action take place feel real and lived in. The production works and continues to prove not only the viability of low budget indie filmmaking but its necessity. The film tows the line at times between sincerity and saccharine but never quite tips over the edge and the voice over sometimes works but sometimes feels like the result of a lack of confidence. Yet there is joy and inspiration to be found in writer/director Billy Luther's narrative feature debut and bodes well if he continues down this track.

Quiet and potent.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.