Okie

2024 / Dir. Kate Cobb / 82 minutes

As an inversion of the prodigal son trope, Okie is a sobering examination of insular small-town communities, wrapping time-warped tension around every knowing look and verbal exchange. Life moves slowly as characters reconnect across nostalgic adult playgrounds and under lambent sunsets. Still, we’re always left feeling that some characters are more purposefully guarded than others. Director/actor Kate Cobb and writer/actor Kevin Bigley wisely root the essence of their film in the authentic shooting locations, each of which serves to accentuate the richness of the characters and the sense that every setting is steeped in a history we’re not fully privy to. Okie builds to an emotionally engaging conclusion that feels well-earned, capping off the “success story returns home” arc in an unexpected but satisfactory conclusion, prompting us to ponder how we remember where we’re from and the impact we choose to have on both the world around us and the people in it.