“Little Miss Sociopath” feels like a quirky, feel-good underdog story, until it completely flips the script and turns into something more cynical (and way more fun). With a snappy, witty script and two totally unhinged lead characters, this dark comedy is chaotic in the best way. It can be a little messy at times, but it all adds to the film’s charm.
The story follows Clementine (Jenny Tran), a bored sales assistant who’s desperate for a way out of her miserable life and under the thumb of her overbearing mom. Enter Adam (Brendan Michael Coughlin), her charismatic (but wildly delusional) co-worker, who sweeps her up into his fantasy world of get-rich-quick schemes. What starts as an innocent escape quickly spirals into something much bigger when he introduces her to the magic moneymaking qualities of morphine. This causes a spark in Clementine that’s liberating and before you know it, she’s running a caregiver scam that drains money from her elderly patients. Her life of crime is short lived as things don’t go as planned.
One of the best things about the story is how it constantly keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you know where it’s going, it takes another unexpected turn. Clementine’s transformation from overlooked nobody to full-blown criminal mastermind is both horrifying and weirdly satisfying. You know she’s making terrible decisions, but you can’t help but root for her anyway.
Much of the film feels a little uneven, and the plot definitely leans into absurdity at times, but kudos to writer / director Miv Evans for keeping the story unpredictable and sticking to her own way of doing things.
Sometimes clunky but always charming, “Little Miss Sociopath” takes big risks that totally pay off. If you like stories about bad choices, twisted relationships, and people going way too far, this one’s for you.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 