I would be surprised to find that this film isn’t based on personal experience because it feels quite real.
It’s the fall of 2000. Alice (Natalia Dyer) goes to a strict Midwestern Catholic school and attends to church with her dad every Sunday. In her Morality class, which is taught by Father Murphy (Timothy Simons,) she learns that sex outside of marriage is forbidden by God.
When an after-school chat on America Online unexpectedly turns into cybersex, Alice is confused by the terminology but finds herself aroused to the point of masturbating. After attending a weekend party, rumors circulate through the school that she “tossed the salad” of a boy she likes. Alice, hearing the rumor, has no idea what the term means but is adamant that it didn’t happen.
An opportunity to go on a four day church retreat comes up and Alice accepts along with her best friend, Laura (Francesca Reale). Over the course of the retreat, Alice encounters several situations that force her to balance her budding sexuality with her fear of eternal damnation.
Based on the short film of the same name, Yes, God, Yes was written and directed by Karen Maine. High school is a tumultuous and emotionally complicated time and Maine handles the awkward age of puberty and discovery with a surprising deftness. I would be surprised to find that this film isn’t based on personal experience because it feels quite real. She also portrays the somewhat creepy vibe of a Catholic youth function with critical accuracy. The dialogue is note perfect.
Natalia Dyer, best known as Nancy Wheeler from Stranger Things, delivers a nuanced and utterly believable performance as Alice. Dyer’s expressive face says almost as much as her body language. The rest of the cast, including Reale, Timothy Simons, Alisha Boe, and Parker Wierling, is equally good. Wolfgang Novogratz is especially well-cast as Chris, a charismatic football player that Alice fantasizes about at the retreat.
While billed as a comedy that deals with sexual themes, Yes, God, Yes never takes the low road. It’s never gross or unpleasant but it is genuinely funny. It’s an honest look at one girl’s journey to understanding that everyone is just as mixed up as her. Some are just better at hiding it.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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