Louis (Stephan James) lives with his sister Delia (Genelle Williams). One day, when Louis and Delia are driving into town, Delia requests that Louis stop the vehicle and pull over. Delia leaves the car with a gun, which surprises Louis, but when he questions the reason for the firearm, she responds by claiming some things you can only get with a weapon, plus the world is not a perfect place. Delia requests that Louis pick her up in five minutes, but he tries to convince her that whatever she is planning on doing is not right. No matter, Delia continues with her private business. While Louis awaits Delia’s return, a small interaction is had with the town sheriff, Fran (Marisa Tomei), who is slightly suspicious but carries on about her day. Delia returns with some stolen medication for Louis, who has a disability. However, when the pair are back home, Delia shares heartbreaking news about her work, which requires her to move out. Naturally, Louis is unhappy about the massive changes, claiming she can’t leave. But Delia runs away secretly, leaving Louis alone.
Sheriff Fran (Marisa Tomei) and her fellow officer, Bo (Paul Walter Hauser), knock on Louis’s door the following day. Louis wakes up to the knocking and finds Delia dead on the floor inside the house. Under suspicion of murder, Louis is arrested and sentenced to prison for the next seven years. When Louis finishes his time in prison, he is released with a fresh start. When he’s released, though, Louis receives new information from an old friend of Delia’s named Stacker (Travis Fimmel). With the latest intel, Louis begins to make some enquiries, which lead him down a thrilling path that he hopes will end with him discovering the truth about Delia’s death and who is responsible. However, when the word gets around town that Louis is raising questions and digging up the past, Fran (now retired) and Bo, the current sheriff, reteam up to stop Louis from causing chaos before it’s too late.
Delia’s Gone is best described as a thriller and crime story directed by Robert Budreau, whose past work includes Born to Be Blue (2015) and Stockholm (2018). Carrying most of this film is Stephen James who plays Louis. From the beginning, we understand that he is highly dependent on Delia to help care for him. Once Louis loses Delia and is sent to prison, we see him become a man filled with brokenness and loss. James did a terrific job as the lead, portraying a character with intellectual disabilities and all the drama and heartache Louis goes through. Other performances from Marisa Tomei and Paul Walter Hauser are fine, but it’s nothing overly new for fans of the actors.
I can’t deny that the plot is engaging, with gritty and grim visuals that linger for the entire duration. I found myself curious to know who was behind Delia’s death and even more interested to see the truth surrounding the night she died. The film introduces several characters and prime suspects, but there are apparent outcomes, and when the finale showdown comes into play, I found the results unrewarding and weaker than the build-up through the first and second acts. Watching Louis speak with one person to the next and getting new information suggests a big payoff, but instead, the finale is highly forgettable.
Overall, with an engaging mystery and a dramatic story, Delia’s Gone grabs the audience’s attention and takes them on a path of determination and justice. The leading performance from actor Stephan James is, without a doubt, the most commendable performance out of a talented cast, and actor Travis Fimmel delivers a mysterious character with a dark past. Sadly, while the mystery itself is intense and my curiosity to know the truth was building up, the finale lacked strength and instead felt weaker than the rest of the film, so much so that I’m saddened to say it’s also forgettable. Side performances, including from Marisa Tomei and Paul Walter Hauser, are fine, but their chemistry feels disjointed, and their work was nothing overly new. Ultimately, it’s a pleasing thriller, but the potential lingers as the credits roll.
Delia’s Gone (2022) is available on DVD and digital starting June 5th!
4.9/10
★ ★ ½
3rd June 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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