Austin Film Festival Movie Review: ‘Chestnut’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Natalia Dyer as Annie in Jac Cron’s CHESTNUT.

We truly believe when we set out into the world, that love will make our lives complete. Because we’ve seen what it did for our parents and the strength it gave them, and we enjoy tastes of that as well along the way. Through butterflies that flutter strongly in our stomach when we see that person that means the world to us, and we shiver from the stunning electricity their kiss sends down our spine, and the soaring feeling they give us as well, makes it clear that their love will indeed help us to achieve wonders. That is… until we come to learn that love doesn’t really do any of that for us, a fact we come to learn through rough relationships and heartbreak. 
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Which of course, puts us in a tough place. Where we aren’t sure if we can trust or love ever again. Because that’s how much value we put upon the power of love and what it means for us. But while that seems like the end of the world in that moment, devastating heartbreak and the reality that love sometimes can be fleeting in this world… actually is more helpful for us than we know. Because it gives us time to feel raw emotions, we didn’t know we were capable of feeling, and reflecting upon what went wrong can help us to understand what we really need out of love, and it can also motivate us to work on ourselves and try to be better if we discover that love exposed a few flaws within ourselves we need to fix. If anything, that learning experience that love sends our way is top of mind today, simply because it was recently featured in a movie that screened at the Austin Film Festival. 

A feat that Chestnut accomplishes by introducing us to a woman named Annie who has just graduated college and well, she isn’t sure the path she plans to walk is the one for her. But thankfully, there’s time to think and time to prepare for the next chapter ahead and while Annie is out pondering upon what comes next and if it is right for her, she runs into a couple named Danny and Tyler, who… express romantic interest in her, especially Tyler. Which sends Annie’s heart soaring. For Tyler is a gorgeous and dynamic woman that knows how to make Annie feel alive. Not to mention, Danny is her type for certain and charms her in a manner she’s never been charmed before and what follows… is a sordid… yet hollow love affair. One where Annie opens her heart to both people and receives nothing in return, leaving her to wonder… what it will take to claim their love.

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Which is the perfect way to explore how heartbreak and romantic struggles can teach us so much about ourselves. Because despite Annie’s best efforts to be near either Danny or Tyler, she cannot crack the code to get into their hearts. She merely feels the wonder of her love for them and their reserved love for her fluttering about her head, and that prompts her to think about staying in Philadelphia and abandoning the life she’s ready to lead. All because… she truly believes that love will guide her in ways she never thought possible. For the storybook romance and chance encounter is what we all dream of. But alas… this movie deserves a round of applause for showcasing how easily we fall into that trap of silliness and what comes after when we wake up from the dream that kind of lover presents us with.
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Since we are indeed privy to Annie’s long and winding journey to learn what it means to really love another person and how there must be give and take, and this movie also takes the time to explore… how we come to learn the importance of loving oneself, first. For we cannot give anything to anyone without being happy with who we are, and that journey is where this story truly shines. In part because so few films present that with such raw and dynamic honesty. But it is here, and it is powerful, and it helps those in Annie’s situation, and those that went through such a scenario, get a powerful reminder of how wonderful it was to learn about themselves… and the wonder of who they really are. Giving rise to a very human story that is supremely real and truly reflects the romantic dynamics in modern America.

Thanks in large part to the fact that it features an LGBTQIA+ main character whose precise preference isn’t defined in this feature. Which serves as a perfect reminder that is love is love, and that there are indeed people out there exploring romantic possibilities with all genders. Because like Annie… they want to truly be happy, and that kind of honesty with oneself brings that about, and this story deserve an even louder round of applause for presenting romance and dating in such a realistic light, and it also doesn’t hurt… that all of these amazing moments are brought to life by amazing acting. For Natalia Dyer is simply stunning here as Annie and commands the screen with incredible vulnerability and honesty and, she is wonderfully contrasted by Rachel Keller (Tyler) and Danny Ramirez’s (Danny) tortured and frustrated performances, and all of these elements combine to bring forth a poignant and important feature. One that truly reflects a critical time in our lives, and some important lessons we all need to learn in order to find the true love we seek.

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