Black Bear

Enigmatic filmmaker Allison (Aubrey Plaza), seeking inspiration, arrives at the rural retreat of pregnant Blair (Sarah Gadon) and her partner Gabe (Christopher Abbott). As the three spend a boozy evening together, minor differences become bitter arguments, with simmering resentments brought to light through Allison’s adroit manipulation. However, the narrative suddenly shifts, offering an entirely different perspective on events and personalities. Plaza plays both into and against type, forging an admirably cohesive performance that shows a greater range to her talent than perhaps has previously been seen. The reliably excellent Gadon similarly shines in portraying two very different aspects in a film that explores the narcissism of the creative process in an arguably richer manner than that of Aronofsky’s mother! (2017).