'Catching Dust' Reviews: "A small film in stature, but one that has a larger personality and brims with a confidence and carnage that threatens to overstep the narrative’s constraints"

         On August 23, 2024, Verical released 'Catching Dust', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, a woman "finally decides to leave her criminal husband Clyde and their isolated Texas hideout, but a couple from New York suddenly arrives. Ignoring the risks, she convinces Clyde to let them stay, a decision with dangerous consequences." The ensemble cast includes Jai Courtney, Erin Moriarty, Ryan Corr, and Dina Shihabi. Read the full review round-up below.

       Peter Gray of The AU Review says, "A small film in stature, but one that has a larger personality and brims with a confidence and carnage that threatens to overstep the narrative’s constraints, Catching Dust is tragic and hopeless, but consistently potent, made all the more so by an arresting Courtney who continues to prove his worth as a genuine character actor unafraid to play to his masculinity, but doing so without an inch of egoism or vanity."

        Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry notes, "Catching Dust does risk losing the audience in the drawn-out moments between emotional interactions. Yet, as an audience, you will find yourself shocked by how invested you are in by film’s end." Continuing, "Erin Moriarty gives the widest range in a slow burn progression of character growth. There is a desperation that borders on control constantly flickering in the challenges and conflicts Geena faces. Yet, there is also a sense of fear, leaving audiences to feel ambiguous about Geena as she navigates both her relationship with Clyde, as well as Andy and Amaya. She is complicated and far from easily defined, and Moriarty handles each aspect of Geena with ease."

       Matt Hudson of What I Watched Tonight was less impressed, stating, "Whilst not a bad film, Catching Dust is a frustrating one. There was potential here to tell an arresting story, but sadly, we got an OK one instead." Adding, "Despite the talent on display, Catching Dust is a mainly middling affair. It is thoughtfully paced given its shorter runtime, Gatt never really moving the story out of second gear, however, with the lack of any real urgency or tension, the film never really gets going. Seeing Clyde assert himself so despicably over Geena, and to a degree, Amaya and Andy, is a disturbing aspect of the film though I never felt as if I really got to know the characters well enough to connect with them. Moriarty’s Geena uses art to escape her reality and tries to build bridges with the new visitors, but even she isn’t entirely squeaky clean throughout which raises some interesting questions. In her performance, Moriarty is game for the task, but as with the rest of the cast, she isn’t given a whole lot to work with. Greater focus on one of the four characters, probably Geena, would have strengthened Catching Dust overall in my eyes. Technically, the film is well constructed and presented. It looks sharp and the sprawling wilderness is captured to portray a grimy, solemn feel, which it does well. The juxtaposition also between the two couples is visualised effectively as well, I just wish they had gone further into that aspect narratively."

       Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com praises the film, "Catching Dust” should be a character study of two very different couples and how they influence one another, but it never quite takes these people seriously enough to work on that level."

Photo by Wyron A on Unsplash