A Washington political fixer (Rosario Dawson) returns to her hometown to unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's death and comes face-to-face with old acquaintances carrying new agendas.
Sparked by the mysterious death of her sister Felicity, Washington political fixer Allegra "Pickle" Dill (Rosario Dawson) returns home to the small Texas town where she grew up. Tenacious, direct, and in defiance of local police captain Gene Colder (Brian Geraghty), Dill begins to interrogate old childhood acquaintances, like estate attorney A.D. Singe (Edi Gathegi) and the self-made mogul Jake Spivey (Jay Ferguson), with hopes of finding answers. As in all good mysteries, with every discovery she makes, more questions arise — like why are exotic zoo animals running wild all over town?
Written by author and television critic Andy Greenwald, and executive produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, TIFF '18's Homecoming), Briarpatch is a pulpy anthology series and contemporary adaptation of Ross Thomas' 1984 novel of the same name. Ana Lily Amirpour (TIFF '16's The Bad Batch) directs the first episode and helps establish the series' style and sensibility, along with Steven Piet who directs episode two. Its dialogue is quick, its characters are quirky, and its world feels inspired by the likes of David Lynch and the Coen Brothers.
In her portrayal of Dill, Dawson finds the perfect balance between confidence and vulnerability, giving a powerhouse performance as she navigates repugnant newspapermen, corrupt cops, and the occasional tiger in present-day Texas.
GEOFF MACNAUGHTON
Screenings
TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Scotiabank 5