Ragged Heart

Talking of performances, Avalon deserves special praise for her performance. You will notice a weary innocence in Avalon’s voice and facial expressions, making her character a profoundly humane person. That’s why Miranda’s demise makes watching Ragged Heart more upsetting. She makes the utmost of her screen time.

Craddock’s performance cracks open the heart. He definitely looks the part of a distressed musician. He even carries himself like an old, detached folk artist now battling mental troubles and conflicting emotions of guilt, grief, and loss. Throughout the film, Wyatt slowly breaks down in his search for definitive answers about his daughter’s demise, which the actor showcases well.

“…Avalon deserves special praise…”

If you are looking for direct answers, you will prefer something else. Ragged Heart is not a plot-driven narrative but a character one. The story unravels as Wyatt comes to calm with the loss of his daughter and protects her legacy in her final poem. The ending of the film is a kind of cliffhanger. Still, it proves to be better for this plot with these characters, as the filmmaker has been leaving breadcrumbs for the audience’s interpretation from the beginning.

There are areas where the picture loses momentum. But, if you like films that provoke you to think about their story or love mainstream films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, you will have a great time watching McNary’s drama. It’s about real people facing troubles and going through tough times in their lives. Just as those films capture the characters to their core and use cinematography to engage the surroundings with the center plot, Ragged Heart will also bring you the same composure.

Ragged Heart is a 2023 Award This! Drama nominee.