The G

Texan Ann (Dale Dickey) and ailing husband Chip (Greg Ellwand) have retired to a derelict US suburb to be close to their family. But the reality is that they are fairly dysfunctional the only one who appears to care is Emma (Romane Denis), her granddaughter.

Nevertheless Ann has her life though she’s not prepared for her and her husband to be taken from their home and locked up by their court ordered ‘Guardian’ in what is little more than a prison.

Ann has been declared unfit to look after herself and her husband and put into the care of a person who has little interest in their welfare more whatever money they may or may not have. Using violent means to get to Ann through her husband ‘Guardian’ Rivera (Bruce Ramsey) has no idea the character he is dealing with.

The G is a grimy, grim, violent story highlighting the exploitation of the elderly and vulnerable by unscrupulous people who see easy money to be made. That is the blatant polemic of writer and director Karl R. Hearne and its very effective.
That said much more interesting is the character development and study of Ann and Emma. Dickey and Denis both give grounded tough performances through contrasting characters that logically complement.

Ann a hard bitten justifiably bitter person has been dumped on all her life and managed to find a way through. Her method of dealing with her current situation is extreme. Emma on the other hand doesn’t have that seam of cruelty that Ann possess. She still has some faith in the system that Ann despises. In her own way she is as strong and assertive, and gets results.

A genuine mutual respect turns into a hard alliance as people they thought they could depend on fall away or let them down.

The G had its UK Premiere at Glasgow Film Festival 2024.