In the wake of her success with her 2022 project, The Unknown Country, writer-director Morissa Maltz is back with Jazzy, her sensitive portrait of girlhood. Starring Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreux and Syriah Fool Head Means as fictionalized versions of themselves, Jazzy is entrenched in these girls’ real lived experiences. This intimacy and truthfulness, coupled with Maltz’s lyrical style, allows Jazzy to pack an emotional punch without heavy plotting or dialogue. Jazzy relies on the look and feel of its world to communicate what Jazzy is feeling and succeeds in painting a universal portrait of growing up.

Though Jazzy is the window through which the audience gets to experience this microcosm of youth, Syriah, her best friend, is just as vital to the narrative. Their awkward stabs at contemplating adulthood, sudden outbursts of giggles, and untamed ability to create fun and adventure from their surroundings bring the girls together in their small community. SH๏τ over the course of six years, Maltz dives headfirst into the uncertain period of childhood when the first glimmers of adulthood appear in all its complicated glory. Jazzy is as curious about her future as she is hesitant to embrace it.

Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreux & Syriah Fool Head Means Give Star-Making Performances In Jazzy

The Two Young Leads Are The Reason Why Jazzy Works

The setting of Spearfish, South Dakota, and Jazzy’s idenтιтy as a part of the Oglala Lakota tribe are significant parts of the story and let us into Jazzy’s world with increased intimacy and understanding. In telling the small-scale story of one girl, Jazzy is able to capture universal themes, allowing us to see their childhood reflected back at them onscreen. Maltz worked directly with Bearkiller Shangreux and Fool Head Means in crafting the story, finding out what parts of life were the most pressing and critical during this period of life.

The seriousness with which Maltz approaches the feelings and opinions of the girls is apparent and gives the film its honesty. While there is a place for intense upheaval and discussions of trauma in film and in conversations about childhood, Jazzy understands that the everyday dramas of Jazzy’s life are just as big and important to her. Seeing a friend move away, navigating a first crush, and developing into a big sister with increased familial responsibilities are the trials and tribulations she faces, and they feel no less relevant than in any other drama.

It’s not until Jazzy first sets foot on the reservation onscreen that we get to see the faces of the adults who have lurked in the background of the film. This is when Lily Gladstone, with whom Maltz collaborated on Unknown Country, appears, drawing Jazzy out of her shell and presenting a picture of the life she might have in the final act. Though life has consistently retained its beauty through Jazzy’s eyes throughout the narrative, it’s as if the veil is lifted and the world is made real on the reservation through the girls’ generational connection to the land.

Witnessing Jazzy and Syriah shout into the Badlands, reaffirming their bond and opening up about how much they’ve missed each other speaks to the film’s vulnerability. Though the reunion is emotional and their need for each other is apparent, the film also explores the reality that Jazzy’s burgeoning independence is just as exciting. While a best friend is one of the most influential people in a child’s life, seeing Jazzy find out who she is as an individual is a key part of her coming-of-age story, even if it’s painful.

Jazzy Takes Its Time & Embraces Its Non-Traditional Story Structure

At Times, Jazzy Is Close To A Series Of Vignettes Rather Than A Classic Narrative

It doesn’t take long for us to catch on to the non-linear and slower pace of Jazzy​​​​​, which represents the confusion and intensity of growing up. While we get a close look at Jazzy’s sadness when Syriah moves away and her sense of homecoming on the reservation, many of the pieces we get of Jazzy’s life are rooted in the mundane. For audiences looking for classic story beats and a strong narrative throughline, Jazzy isn’t going to deliver that. However, it’s always better to meet a film on its own terms, as Jazzy won’t compromise its core idenтιтy.

Maltz over-relies on the scoring at times, using a heavy hand with the music cues to dictate our emotional reaction. It’s a small sign that Maltz isn’t completely certain she can trust us to understand her message, but the director predominantly places her faith in us and our empathy for Jazzy. Unafraid to rely on the natural beauty that surrounds Jazzy’s life, Maltz takes her time, never rushing Jazzy along her path to young adulthood, only enjoying the ride as a pᴀssive observer who’s been let in on the secret of childhood that everybody shares.