Chris (Duplass) returns to his small-town home after 20 years in prison.  As he looks for work and tries to adjust to life on the outside, he seeks out the company of Carol (Falco), his former high-school teacher who worked tirelessly to secure his parole. Even though they had formed a close emotional bond through letters and phone calls during his incarceration, Carol is married and insists they remain just friends. But it’s soon evident that Chris has something else in mind.

With quiet purpose, director Shelton gradually builds emotional impact in this portrait of two lost souls unexpectedly coming together under awkward circumstances. We watch as their increasingly intense relationship raises thorny issues of agency and responsibility for both of them. Duplass’s performance captures the child lost within the man, while Falco is pitch-perfect as a long suppressed woman finally getting in touch with her emotions and realizing her worth. Working from a script co-written with Duplass, Shelton creates a beautifully nuanced drama with the cloudy Pacific Northwest serving as an atmospheric backdrop. Don’t miss this small wonder, which packs a surprising punch.