'The Fits' review: A bold coming-of-age tale of identity, inclusion
Star Royalty Hightower delivers one of the great breakout performances of 2016 in the confident and abstract coming-of-age drama "The Fits" (opening in additional cities July 8).
In short: An 11-year-old tomboy Toni (Hightower) struggles to fit in with a dance troupe, which is thrown into hysteria when girls from the group are hit with unexplained fainting spells. (Watch the trailer)
For a film that's all about the mood, it effectively leverages its ethereal tone into a sort of time machine. "The Fits" forces the audience back to the awkward feeling of not quite fitting in - establishing a character who wants to maintain her identity but is tempted by the allure of acceptance. It taps into the universal feeling of being an outsider separated from an in-crowd.
Hightower reveals her wisdom with a nuanced and focused performance. Her character has very little dialogue for the first 30 minutes of the film (and she's in virtually frame of the movie). Toni is an isolated, soft-spoken girl comfortable in exercise sweats and a pair of boxing gloves, training alone in the gym - unlike the gossipy, boy-obsessed girls in the dance troupe. Yet, Toni is drawn to the dance group, and all the trappings that come with this change.
At one point, Toni and her friend wonder aloud if the unexplained convulsions are contagious, or if its some sort of "boyfriend disease." The movie itself leaves the fainting spells pretty ambiguous - the roots/origins of the fits aren't as important as how they affect Toni and the dance team. The fits become yet another divisive layer within the dance group - separating the girls who succumb to the episodes and those who are slowly consumed by their growing curiosity. Is it caused by something in the water - or is it a rite of passage?
With a running time just over an hour, "The Fits" has virtually no fat on it. Every frame and scene either reinforces the themes or advances the characters. Even with its relatively short runtime and minimal dialogue, "The Fits" captivates and compels. The audience knows exactly what Toni is thinking, despite her lack of lines or any other exposition, is a testament to Hightower's incredible performance and first-time director Anna Rose Holmer's firm grasp of mood and storytelling.
Final verdict: This atmospheric, psychological drama taps into very elemental adolescent anxieties - isolation, inclusion and identity - to tell an emotionally true story. This film and its star are a pure revelation.
Score: 5/5
"The Fits" screened during the 42nd Seattle International Film Festival and opens in additional cities July 8. It has a running time of 72 minutes and is not yet rated.
