Upon watching Ethan Hawke’s 2023 film Wildcat, which portrays the life of Georgia-born short story writer and novelist Flannery O’Connor, I kept thinking how I have to give Hawke credit for caring enough about his subject to attempt something different. Unlike most Hollywood celebrities who let their fame and materialism drive their egos, Hawke has always had an appreciation for the arts and artists. That is, he seems to genuinely care about past writers of quality, and he has incorporated these tastes into his film career, often taking on more artistic, rather than conventional projects.

Hawke co-wrote this film with Shelby Gaines having had his daughter Maya Hawke in mind for the role. Maya is also the daughter of Uma Thurman, so if you keep thinking you’ve seen her before—that is why. (She also played Jamie Bernstein in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro.) Filled with brooding moods and blue-green lighting, Hawke creates an atmosphere of a 1950s writer’s world where his subject, O’Connor herself, remains on the outside. For those unaware, Flannery O’Connor died at the age of 39 after having spent years suffering from lupus, an autoimmune disease that often affects the joints, kidneys, and other body parts. This film does not shy away from her physical pain, as we see her having to inject hormones into her hip, using a large syringe. ‘This looks like it’s for a farm animal,’ she remarks. […]