The Sweet East [work] ★ (FRESH)

It is a film that rewards multiple viewings. The first time, you are lost. The second time, you see the map. The third time, you realize the map was a lie, and you are happy to be lost.

is not for everyone. If you need a three-act structure with a clear moral, look elsewhere. If you dislike ambiguity, avoid this film. But if you are tired of predictable narratives and hungry for a movie that captures the chaotic, aesthetically overwhelming, politically schizophrenic nature of being young in America right now, you will find no better vessel. The Sweet East

Throughout her odyssey, Lillian is less a character with defined goals than a chameleonic presence — quiet, observant, and unexpectedly manipulative. She absorbs the ideologies of those around her without committing to any, using each new "family" for survival and then discarding them when they no longer serve her. The film ends with her boarding another bus, ready to begin the cycle again, her true self remaining a mystery. It is a film that rewards multiple viewings

She initially falls in with a group of activists in Baltimore. The third time, you realize the map was

In the pantheon of American road movies, from Easy Rider to Thelma & Louise to Nomadland , carves out a new lane. It suggests that the American dream isn’t dead. It has just turned into a nightmare—and the only way to survive a nightmare is to stop trying to wake up.

Available now on MUBI and select digital retailers.