The Good Sister

There’s nobody dearer to Rose (Marie Bloching) than her older brother Sam (Anton Weil). The pair have been close all their lives, so when Rose turns up in the middle of the night after a break-up with her girlfriend, Sam lets her move in, no questions asked. Everything seems fine until Rose receives a letter asking her to testify against Sam when he’s accused of rape. Although Rose is initially convinced that the situation must be a horrible misunderstanding, she gradually begins to question how well she really knows her brother and if he could be capable of committing such a monstrous act. Director Sarah Miro Fischer handles these central themes with great nuance and tact in her feature debut, as she explores the emotional fallout of the situation.

Half-asleep in the next bedroom when the alleged incident took place, Rose finds herself at the centre of the investigation. While she hears the muffled commotion through the walls and momentarily locks eyes with the woman (Laura Balzer) before she hurries out of the apartment, Rose’s limited perspective and her overwhelming love towards her sibling allows her to give him the benefit of the doubt. Weil’s distraught reaction upon discovering the letter is likewise enough to convince viewers that he might be innocent, too. However, after hearing the accuser’s statement, her unwavering loyalty is dismantled piece by piece as she confronts the difficult truth.

Bloching’s performance is remarkable throughout. Aided by a pointedly written script, the actor conveys the complexity of her character’s inner conflict with as few words as possible. Such a moment comes when Rose confronts the accuser at the beauty salon she works at where, during a painful bikini wax, she knowingly asks her if she wants her to stop. Miro Fischer fills this film with several other quietly effective moments like this, however, there are some scenes that are a little too heavy-handed. An intimate encounter between Rose and someone from a life drawing class, which mirrors what happened that faithful night, for example, comes across as out of place, especially since it’s never touched upon again.

Carried by an unwaveringly fantastic performance from Bloching, Miro Fischer tests how far familial loyalty can stretch in an emotionally resonating debut, which marks the start of what could be a promising career.

Andrew Murray

The Good Sister does not have a release date yet.

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