Cass (they/them) is a young non-binary person trying to get by with a service job in a restaurant, as a nanny for a well-off family, and occasionally drug dealing at parties. Every month is a struggle, partly due to living in the expensive city of San Francisco. One evening, they run into a new girl from the restaurant at the local laundromat. There is chemistry, and after an evening at the bars, they end up in bed together.
Cass texts the next day, but it’s a while before Kalli (Louisa Krause) responds. When she does, it’s to ask Cass to babysit her twelve-year-old daughter, Ari, while Kalli goes to Vegas for work. Cass reluctantly agrees, being very much a loner who usually polishes off a 12-pack of beer every night. Raised by grandparents, with no friends,
Cass depended on video games for entertainment growing up. Ari seems to have a similar childhood; any attempts to reach Kalli while she’s in Vegas are unsuccessful.
The time for her return passes without a word, so Cass continues caring for Ari. Ari is upset about her mom’s extended absence and lack of contact, but she enjoys going to the library and listening to the younger children’s story hour. Cass tries to build a bridge to reach Ari through old video games. Cass noticed Kalli had old track marks on her arms when they first met and wondered if Kalli had relapsed. It takes a while for any real connection to form
between Cass and Ari, as they are so alike and closed off. When plans fall through when Kalli finally returns, Cass starts to spiral, but with the intervention of new friends is able to face the underlying issues that have dogged them and pushed them to alcohol.
Cass (Asia Kate Dillon) and Ari (Ridley Asha Bateman) are outstanding. Asia has the difficult job of very slowly exposing the character’s inner feelings to the audience as if they had given up on having emotions long ago. Ari’s longing for family and connection was simmering under the surface, even as she wrapped herself in a hard shell to avoid hurt. Director Elena Oxman has done a fine
job letting us slip into the lives of this troubled but salvageable group.