May December is the latest film from Todd Haynes which had its premiere at Cannes Film Festival. It was bought by Netflix and saw a small theatrical run before premiering on the streaming site. The film stars Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton in a melodramatic tragedy in a film which seems to be loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau story.

The film follows Portman’s character of Elizabeth an actress preparing for her new role. In her latest film she will portray Gracie (Julianne Moore) a woman who went on to sleep with a 7th grader Joe Yoo (Charles Melton). Elizabeth decides to stay with Gracie and Joe who have are now married 23 years later and have children. In Elizabeth’s eyes, this will be a great way to “find” the character. The experience quickly turns for everyone, and regressed emotions and thoughts begin to unravel.

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore’s scenes are incredible to witness as both characters are putting up masks to hide who they really are. It’s fascinating to see just how both characters think they are in the right, but both are so out of touch with reality. Portman has a monologue scene that might just be one of the most unnerving and chilling sequences all year. Charles Melton’s performance by far is the quietest yet the most striking; the actor is able to balance playing a character that seems unbothered but as the film progresses, the bottled emotions begin to crack. The way the film itself is also using walls and masks with campy tones to hide the darkness of the story. It’s an incredible watch for that factor alone that’s amplified by its spectacular performances.

One of the other characters is the score which is placed at just the right moments. It takes those really dark moments in the film and amplifies them even more giving a sense of dread and absurdism. I really found May December become increasingly dark as it progressed and almost like I shouldn’t be watching this. The way we also linger on moments that just feel so uncomfortable makes you really understand the dynamics at play here. It genuinely leaves you feeling for Charles’ character of Joe and the amount of torture they have had to deal with all their life. By the time the film reaches its conclusion leaves you shattered and lost.

We give May December a 4.5 out of 5.