PLOT: A young woman joins a charming con man on the run, leaving a trail of crime and passion as they hustle through the Southeast in search of her estranged mother.
REVIEW: There are few independent films that have had the effect that both Dinner in America and Snack Shack have had on me. They have such a specific and unique voice, and are able to highlight intriguing characters that you are desperate to spend more time with. Carolina Caroline manages to be a love story through the lens of a pair of bank robbers, and how their lives ramp up after meeting each other.
Carolina Caroline is a story we’ve seen time and time again, with a young woman (Samara Weaving) falling for a charming con man (Kyle Gallner) and joining him on his crime spree. She’s intrigued by the world that he lives in and is looking for excitement in her boring life. We follow the duo as he teaches her all the different ways to con people. There’s a seduction to it all, both between the characters but also the criminal element. Caroline is intrigued by both the man and the adrenaline of pulling off the perfect crime. It’s less about doing something morally wrong and more about executing the task to perfection. Their relationship develops alongside her improving skillset.
As much as the film is a crime story, so much is just watching Oliver and Caroline have deep conversations about life and their journeys. Caroline is ignorant; she just sees an interesting man and doesn’t look past the dangers that could come from living this kind of life. She wants the stakes ramped up without really thinking of the consequences. Oliver is desperate for connection and only knows how to live one kind of life. The pair is never presented as having financial problems or a specific need for money. They simply commit the crimes for the satisfaction of a job well done.
Kyle Gallner and Samara Weaving may just be my favorite actors working today, so to have them paired up in this was an absolute dream. This is very much a romance story at its center, and the spark between the two helps keep things interesting. They’re both believable in their roles and feel as close to a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde as you can imagine. Kyra Sedgwick and Jon Gries appear in supporting roles that further color this world, and Caroline as a person. Despite her father being a good guy, her absent mother has affected her enough that many of her decisions are layered with her actions. There’s a really fun throughline with the phone calls that Caroline makes to her father.
I’m still not entirely sure when Carolina Caroline actually takes place, as the world itself is quite ambiguous. There are no cellphones, and we’re seeing payphones consistently used. It has a real 70s vibe to it, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if someone told me it took place in the 90s. The score is mostly made up of country music, which I’m admittedly not a big fan of, but it manages to be more soulful than just being twangy.
Carolina Caroline is a story we’ve seen a thousand times before, yet is able to present it in an interesting way. Oliver and Caroline are in a toxic relationship, yet that toxicity comes through with crime, not the actual behavior towards one another. While I don’t think it’s quite on the same level as his previous work, it’s easy to appreciate Rehmeier’s distinct style. It shows how quickly someone can get wrapped up in something that’s not good for them, as they try to escape the path they believe they’re on. And beautifully asks the question: “How do we know if we’re good people pretending to be bad or bad people pretending to be good?”
Carolina Caroline is playing in theaters on June 5th, 2026.
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