The Connolly Sisters (Sophie Lowe and Morgan Saylor) are in mourning, but between a dead stranger in the ocean, a missing murder weapon, and the increasingly shady behavior of their recently deceased mom’s friends, they’ve barely had a chance to register their loss. The audacious debut feature from co-directors and screenwriters Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy blends elements of thriller and the darkest of comedies to present something wholly entertaining and wickedly original.

The film features an outstanding female-led cast including Annette O’Toole, June Squibb, and an unforgettable performance from Margo Martindale as the head of a criminal operation that threatens to uncover the surprising underbelly of their idyllic seaside New England town. Gorgeously photographed, and punctuated by a set of stunningly surreal sea shanties courtesy of the film’s version of a Greek chorus, Krudy and Savage Cole create a true ensemble piece in the vein of classic Coen Brothers. The film heralds a new pair of cinematic voices that won’t soon be forgotten.

—Loren Hammonds