The first thing that I learned about Naomi Jaye’s (The Pin) newest feature, Darkest Miriam, was that it was executive produced by Charlie Kaufman (I’m thinking of ending things), and that automatically adds a level of intrigue and suspense to any film. The issue with having such a prolific name attached to a movie is that there is a certain expectation now associated with the film, and if anything fails on those expectations, it can lead to a disappointing result. So, I want to make it evidently clear that Darkest Miriam doesn’t take a page out of Kaufman’s book, it doesn’t have his stylings, but it lives in the world that Kaufman could explore, in a sense. It’s a twisted movie that is deeply nuanced and layered, but not a Kaufman movie after all. Darkest Miriam is a deep character study that focuses on one character and spreads into another with an incredibly grounded performance from its lead.
L-R: Tom Mercier as Janko and Britt Lower as Miriam in DARKEST MIRIAM. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Darkest Miriam, adapted from Martha Baillie’s novel The Incident Report, focuses on Miriam (Britt Lower), who works in a local Toronto library, monologuing about the mundane day-to-day tasks and the casual visitors to the local branch. She goes and eats her lunch alone daily in a nearby park and is generally unphased by what would irritate other people; this may be her compliance with everyday life or just acceptance of the sad state of affairs that her life finds itself in. However, one day, she meets Janko (Tom Mercier), an immigrant cab driver who also eats his lunch alone in the same park as her. While this relationship blossoms, there’s a mystery afloat about threatening letters that Miriam discovers left in books at the library which she assumes may be for her, or may just be random letters; something that is never truly addressed in the film in one way or another.
And that’s not the only unanswered question. Similarly, Jaye also guides the audience through flashbacks of Miriam’s life, blending what is reality and memory, which only get answers at the halfway point of the film. Even if it doesn’t entirely answer all the questions it presents, the way the story is crafted with the interweaving timelines, mystery, and romance, creates a drama that sinks its teeth into the audience.
For Darkest Miriam to work with leaving questions unanswered, the performances from Britt Lower (Severance) and Tom Mercier (The Animal Kingdom) have to be top notch and truly exceptional. Thankfully, in this instance, the performances are truly incredible and nuanced, with Lower proving, once again, she can do something with so little and make it a breakout and standout character. Her ability to craft emotion and storytelling with anecdotal moments and flashbacks is unparalleled. As well, Mercier shines playing the love interest, just as the relationship he has with Lower and the chemistry both they and their characters share, shine. Janko’s personality seems to be exactly what Miriam needs and the way Mercier plays it to Lower is exceptional, truly remarkable and creates an undeniable bond between the two characters.
L-R: Tom Mercier as Janko and Britt Lower as Miriam in DARKEST MIRIAM. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Naomi Jaye directs and writes a wonderful story about a Toronto librarian, which is lead by exceptional performances, but leaves a few too many questions unanswered to satisfy the more-picky audience members. Yes, not every movie needs to answer every question and sometimes ambiguity is welcomed, but when it is a lingering and almost focal point to the story but not the central focal point, questions should be addressed with answers. Britt Lower and Tom Mercier are more than worth the price of admission for a movie which, like the leads’ profession, amplifies the simpler, quieter things in life, love, relationships, and deeper connections (all things that can be found inside of a library, too.)
Screening during Tribeca Film Festival 2024.
In select theaters March 28th, 2025.
Available on VOD and digital April 11th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Tribeca 2024 Darkest Miriam webpage.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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