Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING [Tribeca Film Festival 2021 -Virtual]

The aspect of concept is always an idea of progression and how far one is willing to push it. When a storm seems to go wrong in "We Need To Do Something" (Midnight/World Premiere), the aspect of primal kicks in. Protection versus survival ups the adrenaline and perspective a notch. The key here is it is like a stage piece since it all happens in one room. While this is interesting, the basis is that the ante keeps needing to be heightened to the point of mania (especially as a midnight movie). Completely doing a 180 from "The Vast Of Night" (which she was fantastic in), Sierra McCormick has a completely different approach as Melissa. She is both an outsider and a family member, tender and yet vicious when needed. Stuck with her parents and younger brother, there were already cracks and bigger problems within the family, especially between the parents played by Vinessa Shaw and Pat Healy. Healy's performance, though strong , is less nuanced and teeters back and forth but that might be a case of direction.

The story ricochets back to a relationship Melissa has which while important is not as dread filled as it could have been. It is more in the room when nature versus nurture come to bear and chaos sets in that the movie takes its more visceral turn. But again it is McCormick interestingly enough and not Shaw that gets the most empathy despite the despair her mother is going through. The build, consequence and reveal is kept purposefully mysterious and it doesn't fake out making the end satisfying (though the real intent and reflection of what is truly transferred is never clear). One scene though which is relegated to what might be considered a hallucination metaphorically it retains a sense of powerful intention but also almost an ode to the Garden of Eden. "We Need To Do Something" doesn't renege on its sense of purpose but also simply shows one family having a really bad day. B

By Tim Wassberg