With many Indigenous talents working in front of and behind the camera, strong female leads, and a desolate winter setting, Don’t Say Its Name had a lot going for it. However, while there were solid performances and a setting that acted as a character unto itself, the film fell short in a few areas, never reaching its potential.
A woman protesting a mining company’s new deal to begin drilling on Native land is killed in a hit-and-run, silencing a voice of protest quickly. As the mining company, WEC, begins, something fights back against the company and anyone who supports it. Officer Mary Stonechild (Madison Walsh) and newly deputized Ranger Stacey Cole (Sera-Lys McArthur) are tasked with trying to track down what is killing people.
The bodies are left torn up with no real witnesses, only odd things that, at first, make no sense. They investigate in different ways, Mary following her police training and Stacey diving into the Native aspect. They also enlist the help of Carson (Julian Black Antelope) to try to track down the elusive killer.
Director and co-writer Ruben Martell (alongside Gerald Wexler) effectively sets the story, giving viewers a chance to look at the bigger picture and think beyond the deaths. He uses the setting to his advantage: Snowy Alberta gives it a bit of menace and bite, making some scenes eerie and uncomfortable. Shooting must have given him and the crew more than a few headaches, but the final product looks great.
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However, in the film’s second half, things begin to fall apart. There are scenes where a good plot arc or storyline grinds to a halt because too much time is spent diving into personal and property histories. Granted, this is sometimes important, but the placement causes pacing issues that stand out. Some of the dialogue also falls flat, feeling strained, which is a shame because some interesting ideas were thrown out there.
Another issue is inconsistencies with the actual killer, which becomes more frustrating towards the movie’s end. The initial encounters are done well, and the effects are believable, but by the end, it was confusing as to its powers, strengths, and weaknesses. It was almost as if the writers couldn’t decide what they wanted the killer to be, and it showed. This is especially true during the climax.
Don’t Say Its Name had some solid performances from Madison Walsh and Sera-Lys McArthur and interesting ideas were nicely balanced by the snowy setting. However, pacing issues and, at times, lackluster writing kept this film from being more than it was.
Don’t Say Its Name recently had its premiere at Fantasia Film Fest 2021.
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