Character actress Michaela Watkins (You Hurt My Feelings, Werewolves Within) finally gets her hands on a meaty lead role in exceptional drama, Suze. Starring opposite Watkins, budding heartthrob Charlie Gillespie (Julie and the Phantoms, Totally Killer) plays the seemingly doofy free spirit Gage. As in the best dramedy titles, Suze follows our central characters on an emotional journey of self-discovery. A wide distance in the duo’s ages actually presents the film with a unique point of view, one that proves self-worth and feelings of inadequacy can haunt us no matter how long we have been on this planet. With writer/director team Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart at the helm, Suze dips into some dark and vulnerable moments yet somehow maintains a light and charming tone.
Suze (Watkins) cannot seem to catch a break. Five years ago, her husband upended their marriage when she came home to discover him having sex in their pool. Between being forced to play nice with her ex, the looming specter of approaching menopause, her only child, Brooke (Sara Waisglass, Ginny & Georgia, Degrassi), about to graduate from high school, and Brooke’s intense guitar-playing boyfriend, Gage, constantly hanging around the house, Suze has kind of had it with life, officially. The last straw happens during graduation, when Suze finds out through her ex-husband’s blabbering that Brooke will not be living from home and attending school nearby; instead, Brooke will be heading to Montreal for McGill University. A humorous airport goodbye ends with Gage quite literally handing over his shirt to Brooke, whilst Suze overbearingly offers to travel with her daughter.
Sent for a tailspin, Suze quite literally has no idea what she will do now that her daughter left the nest. She does not have to wait long for an answer—after weeks of dodging Suze’s calls and texts, Brooke frantically begs her to go check on Gage in the hospital. It turns out Gage has attempted suicide after Brooke dumped him by text message. Gage’s completely dismissive father, Rick (Aaron Ashmore, Smallville, Locke & Key), greets Suze at the hospital. Unexpectedly, he pushes the responsibly of watching Gage onto her. Rick claims to have a contract up north for “two to three weeks tops,” and in the meantime, Gage should simply be monitored in case Gage is still a danger to himself.
So, with our setup out of the way, a deep friendship begins to be nurtured between Suze and her daughter’s much younger ex-boyfriend. That is not before a whole lot of growing pains. A therapist seems to be out of the question; Gage channels the pain of losing Brooke by staying up late writing songs about her, and annoying Suze in the process. Suze is forced to bring Gage to work with her, and even to make sure he attends classes despite a clapback from Gage’s strict teacher, Carl (Rainbow Sun Francks, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Stargate: Atlantis). Unexpected pairings are among the most interesting to watch, and Gage and Suze are certainly total opposites. As Gage’s natural charms begin to chip away at Suze’s tough exterior, something changes within her as well. The sweet Gage just needs guidance and a motherly influence, neither of which he has to lead him on the right path.
Many scenes in Suze left me laughing out loud, but the ultimate takeaway involves the feature’s emotional core. Too often movies that try to have a message feel forced and phony. Suze seamlessly weaves in heavier topics through its story of a middle-aged woman and a much younger, musically-driven man finding themselves. There is an innocence to Gage that brings new qualities out in Suze, causing her to reexamine her passions and recontextualize her situation. The combination of Michaela Watkins and Charlie Gillespie elevates Suze from a great movie to a truly unforgettable one that had me reaching for the tissues as it neared the finish line. Both give career-best, devastating turns that leave the viewer craving more time to spend with Suze and Gage. For fans of “Unsaid Emily,” listening to Gillespie cover Roxette’s seminal classic “It Must Have Been Love” will satiate the ache of Julie and the Phantoms being cancelled far too soon. Almost.
Suze premiered at 2024’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
