‘Chestnut’ Review – Natalia Dyer Radiates In Challengers-esque Tale

Friendship triggers a love triangle in the film Chestnut by director Jac Cron. The film is less steamy than this year’s Challengers but still finds a way to strike a sharp emotional cord. The film takes its time, unveiling itself through short dialogues and pulsating scenes. Chestnut is affecting and attention-grabbing from the first frame to the final. Natalia Dyer stars as a woman embarking on a self-awakening. She owns every scene with her charm and quiet electricity. The film delivers sentimental balladries and infuses sizzling chemistry throughout.

Chestnut commences with Annie (Natalia Dyer), a recent college graduate grappling with a sense of aimlessness. Her plan to move to Los Angeles is put on hold as she finds herself drawn to stay in Philadelphia at the start of summer. A chance encounter at a bar introduces her to Tyler (Rachel Keller) and Danny (Danny Ramirez), sparking a connection that blurs the lines of friendship and romance. As Annie navigates her own awakening as a poet, her future and self-identity remain uncertain.

Dyer captivates the audience with a character who is beautifully tormented. As someone captive to her father’s well-being, she is desperate to break free and chart her course. These moments shine through in her quiet agony and latent frustrations. It is through her friendship with Danny that she begins to discover herself while being unsure of her relationship with Tyler. Are they friends, colleagues, or something more? Chestnut blurs the lines, not so much as unrequited love but that of essential connection.

Annie, Danny, and Tyler all share a common desire for connection and validation, forming a complex trio. Tyler, played by Keller, injects a dynamic energy into the relationships. Her character is vexing, carrying a need to be the center of attention. She exudes a fervent jealousy, seemingly attempting to control both Annie and Danny. Keller’s performance is formidable, crafting a character that is less selfish and more intricately complicated.

This relationship between Annie and Tyler intertwines with much of what the film tries to say. Are they friends, or are they more than friends? There is a leveling of the playing field, similar to Challengers, where codependency is broken and independence is unlocked. During a particular exchange where Annie tries to get to the heart of their friend/lover relationship, Tyler proclaims to love Annie, but only as a friend. Annie fervently rebukes this claim as, throughout the film, Tyler comes off as anything but a friend. The acting shines during this scene, which cumulates into an explosive display of quiet emotion.

A beautiful melancholy shows itself when characters are lost in thought, or sit alone at the bar and contemplate their life choices. The final tracking shot will be sure to hit all the feels. As is often the case, those final shots are the biggest takeaway and spell the point of the film; this is the case with Chestnut. The film is less about happy-ever-after and conclusions and more about new beginnings and resolutions.

The film captures the lives of these three friends, but it is ultimately a coming-of-age story for Annie. Dyer reminds audiences of her range as an actress. She is beautifully adept at bringing the rawness to the quiet moments and then flipping the switch when the tenor changes. She is arresting as she imbues naivete while finding her own voice.

This movie plays its card right, delivering passionate scenes that are sure to quicken the heart rate but then compliments these moments with quiet reflections. The film is never preachy but is sensitive as much as it is passionate. Chestnut may lure its audience with the simmering chemistry, but it will hook the audience with its story. It is about a point in time and how people come in and out of our lives. It is less about the relationships but the experiences and how those experiences shape lives in the moment and beyond.

Chestnut will debut in select theaters on June 21, 2024, courtesy of Utopia. The film will debut on digital platforms on July 2nd.