The Girl on the Mountain is not short on tragic characters. Jack Ward (Daniel O’Reilly) makes the decision to head out to the mountains and kill himself after tragedy strikes his life. While there, he meets a mute girl (Makenzie Sconce) who is on the run from her abusive father. As her father’s gang converges on the two, Jack finds himself with a chance for redemption.
It is immediately clear that this is a film that will be heavy on genre tropes. In order for this to work, there has to be strong characters. Especially when they carry as much baggage as the ones in The Girl on the Mountain. Jack has a very clear character arc. He starts off as narcissistic and needy of attention. As the plot progresses, he changes.
For the most part, this is done very naturally making is growth more realistic. Many films make the mistake of rushing to make someone a better person, and while The Girl on the Mountain has an especially egregious example of this, it handles the relationship in a more patient manner more often than not.
Sconce is spectacular as the frightened and distrusting girl. Her reactions and attitude are perfect based on her upbringing. Care is taken with her character as nothing feels rushed as The Girl on the Mountain takes its time in letting Aria form a bond with Jack. Due to this patient writing, their bond ends up meaning more.
This is especially important since nothing else really stands out. There are also many glaring plot holes that ruin the immersion. There is a genuineness to it, but in the end The Girl on the Mountain is a paint by numbers thriller that happens to deal with some heady themes.
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