Review: Blush

Release date: April 10, 2020
Running time: 101 minutes
Starring:  Wendi McLendon-Covey, Steve Little, Max Burkholder

Blush follows Cathy (McLendon-Covey), a suburban mom who lives a seemingly perfect, fulfilled life.  However, under this happy exterior hides a woman who is stuck in the monotony of her daily routine and lack of connection with her family.  She has a regular routine and fulfilling outside activities, but it seems like there is something missing that starts to surface when she makes a few new chaotic friends.  

What Blush does so well, especially at the start, is show the repetitive nature of Cathy's life in a seemingly perfect setup.  Whether it was her constant routine, or having family time with no communication, or a relationship with little interaction, the film sets up her character and the main problem very early.  And in doing so, the film takes a slow approach at the start but it does a really good job of setting everything up.  You really get a sense of what she is going through.  But the other really great thing about this film is that the story doesn't take your typical boring life crisis story.  When Cathy starts to experience other things and live a more exciting life, it does not actually get better for her.  Her new friends and endeavors tend to complicate what was a normal, boring life.  It's an interesting change and one that I didn't see coming.

And Blush sets up this story with some really good acting from McLendon-Covey and Burkholder.  McLendon-Covey is great and is able to convey a lot with her looks and interactions.  You really get a sense of what she is feeling from the subtle aspects of her character.  Burkholder is more outspoken in this one, and more sporadic, but together they have an interesting dynamic.  They are a good combination and keep the story interesting.  However, one issue with the story is that it seems to have random asides that don't necessarily need to be there.  Incidents that happen for no reason and don't really contribute to the overall journey occur and feel like they are just there to fill time.  However, do not worry about those as there is plenty in Blush to keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat as you see this seemingly perfect life with a rotten core collapse before your eyes.

Blush tells a different mid life crisis story with some great acting and an unconventional plot.  

Rent it.