While big-budget fare continues to dominate the cinematic landscape, it’s nice when we can simply live with a character at some point in their lives. Whether it’s the charmingly chaotic I’ll Be Right There or the life-pondering Before trilogy, mixing interesting characters with a few days in their life is often a winning formula.

It’s this that makes A Little Prayer all the more wonderful. Hailing from Junebug‘s Angus MacLachlan, the movie largely centers on Bill, an older man who lives with his wife, and whose son and daughter-in-law live in a backhouse behind their home. When he begins to suspect his son is cheating on his daughter-in-law, Bill begins to learn more than he expected.

Primarily led by Oscar nominee David Strathairn and Don’t Breathe‘s Jane Levy, A Little Prayer is a grounded affair that delivers exactly what it says it will. There are no big dramatic flare-ups or out-of-the-blue conflicts, but arcs that organically evolve from the tension clearly brewed over the years of these characters’ lives.

MacLachlan’s Script Has A Refreshingly Honest Take On Its Themes

With the central conflict of adultery driving the plot forward, there were several ways MacLachlan could’ve taken A Little Prayer‘s script. Here, MacLachlan takes an approach that is simultaneously subtle and authentic. Bill’s a military veteran living a quiet life with his family as a big business owner in their small town. His dancing around the exact way to discuss the things he’s encountering feels all too real.

Many of the conversations that come up with other characters feel equally genuine. One of the most moving comes when we see a character in a post-operation discussion with a nurse about the abortion recovery process. The nurse’s dialogue is well-researched and incredibly human in her sympathetic consulting.

The subsequent scenes in which other characters reckon with and process her decision continue this tender balance in the script’s tone. There are occasional chuckles offered as characters find themselves taken aback by the news, as much as there are tears to be shed over the reason and transparency behind her choice, much in the way of Never Rarely Sometimes Always.

One of the few things that ultimately makes or breaks a slice-of-life movie is its pacing, and A Little Prayer does require a little bit of patience. The first third of the film feels like it’s navigating a few different arcs to drive the plot forward.

While this leads to some very satisfying payoffs by the end, it takes a little longer for the plot to truly hook me. Additionally, a handful of scenes left me wondering what their ultimate purpose was in the grand scheme of A Little Prayer‘s themes.

Filmmakers Would Be Lucky To Have Casts Half As Talented As This

MacLachlan has ᴀssembled a thoroughly magnificent roster of actors. Levy, who forever remains a horror darling thanks to the combined might of Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and Don’t Breathe, as much as a comedic powerhouse after Suburgatory and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, is one of the most present actors I’ve ever seen. Whether listening to Bill sing or watching as he tries to process her and his son’s crumbling marriage, Levy fully embodies her character.

Strathairn proves equally compelling, for a very different reason, in just how challenging it is for Bill to embrace everything happening in the film. Balancing a sense of heartbreak over his potential influence on his son’s actions with a sincere desire to understand, to protect the ones he cares about, the actor makes Bill a fascinating figure to follow.

The supporting characters are excellent, too. Anna Camp and Celia Weston make the most of their major moments, with gut-wrenching pathos for their characters’ pasts. Dascha Polanco finds a remarkable amount of power and agency in her arc as the son’s extramarital partner, who longs to be free of their toxic relationship.

While it may not be the most refined example of its genre, it’s really hard not to fall in love with A Little Prayer. Both in the script and performances, the characters feel thoroughly well-realized, the themes at the heart of the story are universal and tackled deftly, and MacLachlan’s direction creates a richly tender visual palette.

A Little Prayer is now playing in theaters.