Review of You Were Never Really Here (2017) by Brent_Marchant — 18 Apr 2018

A taut, intense character study of a troubled soul on a noble but troubling path in the seamy underbelly of corrupt politics and child sex trafficking. Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of the best performances of his career as a weary protagonist who's good at his craft but haunted by ghosts from his past, as well as the repulsive nature of the circles in which he travels.

Some aspects of the story don't feel as fully fleshed out as they could be, but the nuances are all there to convey the gist of the story. Not an easy film to watch, but one that's powerful in its message and hopeful at the prospect of personal redemption.