Following his breakout hit Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, director John McNaughton has had his share of ups and downs. Between conflicted studio films and underwhelming indies, McNaughton has spent the past decade working in television. After shifting away from feature films for nearly 13 years, the Wild Things director has returned to the cinema with The Harvest, a well-acted if uneven thriller.
Katherine (Samantha Morton) and Richard (Michael Shannon) are parents of a sick child Andy (Charlie Tahan), who has been dealing with a crippling illness since birth. With a weak immune system and confined to a wheelchair, Andy spends his day secluded in his room. Soon, a young girl, Maryann (Natasha Calis), moves in with her grandparents (played by Peter Fonda and Leslie Lyles) not far from Andy’s home. Natasha discovers the secluded Andy while exploring the woods around their homes and the two quickly strike up an unlikely friendship, and the first friendship Andy has ever experienced. But Katherine is protective of her son, maybe too protective, and tries to keep Maryann far away from their home. Meanwhile, Richard is trying to acquire helpful medication from an acquaintance. Tensions are palpable between Richard and Katherine as they disagree over parenting methods, dosage of medications, and practically every other aspect of their lives. Ignoring the demands from Katherine, Maryann continues to come around the house, hoping to provide Andy with a few fleeting moments of joy. But Maryann soon makes a discovery that could tear apart Andy’s family and jeopardize her own life.
The first half of the film plays like a straight-faced familial drama before its reveal leads to an escalation. But it’s that first half that really hurts the film’s pacing, just taking too long to get to its big twist. But once it gets to that twist, The Harvest really finds its footing and the tension and suspense keeps the film barreling forward. It’s that slow opening that prevents The Harvest from reaching that next level of suspenseful filmmaker, opting to slowly build a sense of unease about its characters to the detriment of the film’s pacing.
Nothing in The Harvest would work, though, if not for the excellent lead performances from Samantha Morton and Michael Shannon. Breaking from tradition, Michael Shannon gives a subdued performance. Shannon is able to convey the emotion of his character through minor gestures, like when he withholds his hands from his wife while trying to comfort her. Conversely, Samantha Morton does what Michael Shannon normally does by going wildly over-the-top as the extremely overprotective mother. Morton gives a performance that is somewhere between Nurse Ratched and Carrie White’s mother. The young actors avail themselves well for the most part. And in a brief role, Peter Fonda says “far out” twice, referencing his youthful hippie days instead of actually acting.
Working from a script by Stephen Lancellotti, John McNaughton is able to coax enough suspense from The Harvest that it’s a modest though shaky thriller. Even when the film raises its stakes and the tension mounts, silly plot holes and character motivations undermine the film in parts. While I certainly can’t say that The Harvest is a welcome return to form for McNaughton, there’s still enough going on that I yearn for more films from the filmmaker. Though he’s not able to mine the material for all its possible suspense and intrigue, McNaughton still has a talent for getting creepy, unsettling performances from his lead actors.
The Harvest is currently available on most VOD platforms and will be in select theaters on April 24th
