Review: ‘Electrick Children’

Julia Garner proves she’s an actress to watch while writer/director Rebecca Thomas also puts herself on the map with this unusual but assured debut.

Rachel has grown up in a religious community (the word Mormon is never used, but the religion is clearly related to the LDS faith). On her 15th birthday she is questioned by her father, the pastor, in a family ceremony. To record the confirmation, her father uses a cassette recorder, the first time Rachel has ever seen anything like this.

When she finds the device later, she pops in a tape and hears a cover version of a Blondie song which makes her all weak at the knees. Upon finding herself pregnant, Rachel comes to the conclusion the music knocked her up. Her mother is sceptical, pointing the finger at Rachel’s brother Mr Will who is then banished from the community. With an arranged marriage being hastily arranged for Rachel, she flees in the family truck, Will hidden in the backseat.

Convinced the singer of the song she heard is the baby’s father, Rachel finds herself in Vegas where she sets her sights on the first rocker she meets. Will tags along, desperate to get Rachel to give the name of the real father on tape so he can clear his name and go home.

There are some very funny moments in this film, mostly set up by the clash of fundamentalist religion meeting Vegas youth. Garner is a revelation. The whole film hinges on her performance and her character’s unerring belief in the story she’s told herself. Rachel is portrayed as innocent, but not stupid. We are kept firmly in her head, in part through the taped diary entries that provide a voice-over commentary to the action.

While the second half of the film doesn’t quite live up to the initial premise, Garner has enough charm to carry us through and smooth over the occasional missteps in the script.

7/10