[SXSW 2024] SEW TORN -- Incredibly Fun Crime Thriller Shows Directorial Ingenuity

Review by Sean Boelman

For a filmmaker as young as Freddy Macdonald to show as much control behind the camera as he does in Sew Torn is frankly astounding. Although the thriller’s script follows some very familiar threads, its presentation is much more fun than it has any right to be.

Adapted from the short of the same name, Sew Torn follows a seamstress who gets entangled in an increasingly complex web after getting caught up in a drug deal gone wrong. The film then plays out the consequences of all three of her choices: committing the perfect crime, calling the police, or driving away and doing nothing.

With movies that follow this type of multi-track storyline, it can be easy for it to feel repetitive and predictable. Although the predictability is an issue here, Freddy and Fred Macdonald’s script gives us plenty enough over-the-top antics for it to stay consistently entertaining and refreshing. It avoids feeling gimmicky, instead being an all-around entertaining crime thriller.
​
From a technical standpoint, Sew Torn is pretty incredible. Multiple sequences in the film are crafted with an astounding level of production design and editing that plays out in an entertaining fashion. Considering that the film’s protagonist is a seamstress, it’s only natural that there is such a high level of attention to detail.

​Granted, the movie’s script is somewhat shallow. The film delivers some commentary on how our choices have consequences, but this fable’s moral is incredibly obvious from both the story and the expositional narration. Although some intriguing themes in the subtext are mostly related to the characters’ backstories, these are largely left unexplored.

The characters themselves are pretty archetypal. The protagonist struggles to step out of her late mother’s shadow — a motivation that is about as generic as it comes. The father-son drug dealer duo has an equally telegraphed dynamic. A few of the supporting characters are comedically creative, but the premise and set pieces do much of the heavy lifting regarding the movie’s creativity.  

Still, every cast member gives it their all with fully committed performances. Eve Connolly starts very reserved, but as the character begins to show her wits, Connolly’s performance becomes unexpectedly commanding. Calum Worthy also gives a turn that shows a lot of range. However, the biggest highlight of the cast is John Lynch, who is wonderfully hammy as the villain.

Sew Torn is an extremely fun crime thriller that, while a little shallow in its themes and predictable due to its structure, is satisfying in how it is presented. Despite its narrative shortcomings, Freddy Macdonald’s feature debut has plenty of ambition in the directorial department and heralds him as a talent to watch.

Sew Torn is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.

Rating: 4.5/5