South by Southwest movie review: 'See You Then'

Two former partners engage in a winding conversation that unravels the twists and turns in their lives in the thoughtful drama 'See You Then' (screens at 2021 South by Southwest).

In short: More than a decade after abruptly breaking up with Naomi (Pooya Mohseni), Kris (Lynn Chen) invites her to dinner to catch-up on their complicated lives, relationships, and Kris' transition.

'See You Then' is very much a conversation without a narrative shell to force the story forward. If anything, the fact that Kris has children at home with a babysitter is the nearest thing this movie has to a story structure. But this wandering flow gives 'See You Then' a freedom that most stories don't enjoy - a freedom to just explore their joys and disappointments.

The film has decidedly two different tones - Kris and Naomi pondering what it means to be a woman and a transgender woman in the world, and the two of them directly confronting their failed relationship. In many respects, 'See You Then' shares narrative DNA with the 'Before' series - just two people walking and talking, sharing their thoughts on daily life before digging into all the unspoken ways they have affected one another's lives over the span of years.

A personal, elegant script and two great performances from co-leads Pooya Mohseni and Lynn Chen anchor 'See You Then' with endless empathy, giving voice to two plights in the world: daily life of a transgender woman and the quiet desperation of unfulfilled dreams of a woman who 'settled.' Thankfully, the film doesn't get stuck with Naomi's disbelief in Kris' new life as a transgender woman. Instead, the script wisely lets Kris and Naomi gently prod each other about their current lives, which in turn reveals their disappointments and longings in their lives.

At a brisk 74 minutes, 'See You Then' could have benefited greatly from a little bit more screentime and a little bit more escalation from wistful walks down memory lane to the nakedly bitter climax. The first 50 minutes follows Naomi and Kris discussing all the many similarities and differences between their lives as women. Then, in the final 20 minutes, the otherwise quiet film abruptly pivots - transforming into the two inflicting trying to hurt the other as much as possible. This is such a sharp change in tone and tension that it seems incongruous with the rest of the film. Their final scene together is harrowing and painful - and it could have been significantly more powerful had the script just spent a little more time invested in their relationship before and slowly ratcheting up the tension, rather than just cranking the brutal honesty up to 11 all at once.

Final verdict: 'See You Then' rings with honesty, giving this drama arresting personal intimacy.

Score: 4/5

'The World to Come' screens at 2021 South by Southwest. This drama is not yet rated and has a running time of 74 minutes.