Preserving Family Traditions in 'Hope Ranch'
The death of Grace's father brings challenges as the family tries to preserve their ranch.

The death of Grace's father brings challenges as the family tries to preserve their ranch.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman will be happiest if she marries a man with a good fortune, similar upbringing, matching attractiveness levels, and compatible politics.
A chilling return to the Final Destination franchise with a terrifying twist on fate. Bloodlines explores whether Death can hold a grudge across generations—and what happens when the past won't stay buried.
The social issues The Half of it takes on are handled well, between the antagonization brought on to Ellie for her race and the conflict that arises from her being gay. Both aspects of her character are built up over the course of the film and don’t seem abrupt or rushed. The film shows racism towards Ellie and her and father in varying levels, from having her schoolmates specifically address her as "Chinese girl” to the fore mentioned way her Dad is treated due to language barriers. The same can be said about Ellie being a lesbian. While she never truly “comes out” in the narrative, that does not undermine her journey of self-discovery from being meaningful. These ideas aren’t thrust upon the viewer in a preachy manor, the scenarios that occur feel believable given the rural setting. The film presents watchers with problems whom those like Ellie may face, and leaves us to sit with them and reflect.
The idea of Rosemary's baby but with lesbian partners drew me in, and I was anticipating what the film had in store with its reimagining. Unfortunately, it all felt a little too vague to leave an impact.
Hope has great characters, inventive ideas, an incredible imagination, a palpable intensity, and numerous other aspects that make it one of the best of the year.