SXSW: Kiersey Clemons captivates in ‘The Young Wife’
Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 11:30AM by Abe Friedtanzer
Kiersey Clemons is a superb talent who has proven her ability in films like Hearts Beat Loud and Asking for It. She is once again magnetic in writer-director Tayarisha Poe’s follow-up to Selah and the Spades as a bride that no one seems to truly notice or care about being happy. The Young Wife isn’t nearly as depressing or foreboding as another miserable wedding movie, Melancholia, but there’s still a sense something could go seriously wrong at any moment, and only its title character would notice.
Onscreen text invites audiences to the party - it’s not a wedding - of Celestina (Clemons) and River (Leon Bridges). A horde of people descend on Celestina’s home, each arriving with their own energy and distinctly ignoring the vibe she’d like to have on her big day...