Buried Pain, Unspoken Truths, and Hope

Read Time:4 Minute, 26 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Splinter
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 25m
Director(s): Rio Contrada
Writer(s): Rio Contrada
Cast: Scout Tayui-Lepore, Debbie Allen, Caterina Moscat, Aaron Ford, Presciliana Esparolini, Susan Han, Karl Makinen, Jaicy Elliot, Sophia Tayui-Lepore, Sharena Walker, Jake Klar
Where to Watch: shown at Dances with Films 2025

RAVING REVIEW: SPLINTER offers a grounded, emotionally complex drama wrapped in the façade of a psychological mystery. Though it may flirt with being a thriller at times, its power lies not in suspense or spectacle, but in emotional confrontation—and the ways unresolved trauma seeps into the cracks of adulthood. As Rio Contrada’s directorial debut, this is a film with ambition, sincerity, and more than a few surprising turns, making it a rewarding experience for audiences who are willing to sit with its discomfort.

Rosy, a grad student straddling the line between professionalism and personal chaos, is at the story's heart. Played with a duality by Scout Tayui-Lepore, she isn’t the kind of protagonist that tries to earn your sympathy—she’s flawed, guarded, and often self-destructive. By day, she projects the image of a future psychologist. By night, she’s riding motorcycles, numbing herself with drugs, and trying to outrun something she refuses to name. When she takes on a new case involving a second-grader named Ella (Caterina Moscat) who shows signs of distress, her well-maintained front begins to fracture. What we get to explore isn’t just a story about a child in need but also one about an adult who’s never stopped being one herself.

Contrada’s script doesn't over-explain or spell things out, which works in its favor. Much of the film’s depth surfaces through subtext—through the silences, and what isn’t said in therapy rooms or around kitchen tables. Tayui-Lepore carries that subtlety skillfully, anchoring nearly every scene with a lived-in performance. The film trusts her to hold the camera’s gaze, and she rises to the challenge with nuance. She captures a woman not just haunted by her past but shaped by it—someone desperately trying to do the right thing without having any blueprint for how.

The film reveres stories centered on healing, particularly for women and girls navigating intergenerational wounds. Moscat's Ella gives a restrained performance that avoids the overacting often seen in child roles; she has a bright future. The chemistry between Moscat and Tayui-Lepore builds naturally throughout the film, culminating in emotionally honest scenes that land with an impact.

Debbie Allen’s role as Mrs. James adds warmth to the film. Allen has always possessed an undeniable screen presence, and while her role here is limited, it feels essential to the progression. She plays an older figure who sees through Rosy’s breaks without judgment, offering support that echoes beyond the frame.

SPLINTER’s greatest strength is how personal it feels. Contrada writes and directs with a voice that suggests deep familiarity with the material. There’s a sense that he’s drawn from lived experiences and listening to others. That intimacy makes even the smaller, more understated moments feel significant.

The film ultimately succeeds as a meditation on vulnerability—how hard it is to speak the truth, especially when the words feel dangerous or inadequate. The central metaphor of “splintering” is never heavy-handed but lingers, from Rosy’s fractured identity to Ella’s guarded expressions. In this context, healing is messy and incomplete—but it’s a start.

In a marketplace overflowing with trauma narratives that aim to shock or sensationalize, SPLINTER chooses a more introspective path. It invites audiences to witness something quieter and more challenging: the slow and often painful process of earning your trust. For a debut feature, that’s a rare and thoughtful achievement. It offers a moving story about buried pain and hard-won growth. It might not yell it in your face, but it speaks volumes and stays with you after the credits roll.

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