Summary
A quietly simmering Southern Gothic, where the weight of absence and change settles into every frame, letting unspoken tension build in the spaces between words.
The drama and social upheaval of wartime have been well covered in cinema, particularly in stories set during the Second World War. With APPALACHIAN DOG, actor Colin Henning makes his debut as writer-director, shifting the focus to something quieter but no less powerful: the struggle of returning home to a world that has moved on without you—and the impact on those who have built new lives in your absence.
It’s 1946, deep in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and Marion (Georgia Morgan) welcomes her husband, Teddy (Henning), home from the war. Eager to reclaim his role as a tailor, he quickly discovers that his shaky hands and fading vision make sewing an impossible task—a job that Marion and her friend Peggie (Hayleigh Hart Franklin) have managed for the past five years.
But that’s not the only thing that’s changed. Time apart has reshaped their lives, and it’s possible they both prefer the distance. Marion has carved out her own way of running the business, as well as forming distinct relationships with Peggie and their neighbor Cate (Brooke Elizabeth).
A Southern Gothic drama reportedly inspired by everything from Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock to Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled, Henning’s debut is the definition of slow-burning. From the opening moments, the film comes pre-loaded with an unspoken tension, and much of its power lies in how long Henning keeps his narrative pistol cocked. This isn’t a post-war thriller, but an intensely interior drama—one that lingers in the spaces between what’s left unsaid.
Having taken on triple duties as writer, director, and star, Henning occasionally lets some of the subtext slip too bluntly into the dialogue. There are some late revelations and a curiously touching, if occasionally awkward, exploration of emerging sexuality—though this is slightly undercut by three separate but near-identical moments of affection being rebuffed.
Nevertheless, Henning and cinematographer Aidan Macaluso frame the film beautifully, making full use of the titular landscapes. Coupled with a low-key soundscape—virtually devoid of a musical score and instead leaning on the natural sounds of the environment—Henning’s lingering shots of objects and people create much of the film’s persistent and understated tension.
APPALACHIAN DOG carves out a distinct corner of the world it inhabits. When the tension finally breaks, it does so slowly and deliberately, culminating not in catharsis but in a moment of mutual understanding. Henning marks himself as a voice to watch, and it will be interesting to see what he does next.
2025 | USA | DIRECTOR: Colin Henning | WRITER: Colin Henning | CAST: Georgia Morgan, Hayleigh Hart Franklin, Brooke Elizabeth, Colin Henning, Monica Rae Summers Gonzalez, Aaron J. Stewart , Annie McLean | DISTRIBUTOR: BUFFALO 8 Distribution | RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 21 March 2025
