Films about mass shootings are more prevalent today.
While films about mass shootings are nothing new, including classics such as Targets or God Told Me To, the increased shooting rate in recent years prompted filmmakers to examine the impact. Brilliant films like Mass, Elephant, The Fallout, and Zero Day examine shootings from multiple perspectives, whether from survivors, victims, or killers. Directed by Tyler Riggs, Peace in the Valley attempts to provide a unique perspective on the impact of mass shootings, delving into grief and survivor’s guilt for a new audience.
Ashley (Brit Shaw) loses her husband during a mass shooting in a supermarket in a small Georgia town, leaving her to take care of her son, Jesse (William Samiri). Brit Shaw, also acting as a producer for the film, delivers a strong performance. She dives deep into the trauma, stress, and anguish of her character while still maintaining an engaging, well-rounded demeanor that keeps her character from being one-note. She’s supported but a similarly strong cast, with Dendrie Taylor giving a direct and dynamic performance as Ashley’s mother and Michael Abbott Jr. giving a stark, chilling duel role performance as Ashley’s late husband and his brother, Billy. The filmmakers also make interesting use of the cultural shorthand from taking place in Georgia. While many mass shooting films take place in suburbs or urban areas, few take place in the south. As such, concepts such as Ashley being uncomfortable with Jesse going hunting, much to the confusion of Billy, are well handled.
Despite the solid performances and use of its setting, the film suffers from melodramatic writing. While the cast makes the most of the material they’re given, the plot feels overwrought with pointless subplots that exist more to add drama than advance the story. Some plot threads are even entirely forgotten about, leading to a disjointed narrative. Additionally, while the film focuses heavily on Ashley’s grief, it would’ve benefited from exploring Billy or Jesse’s grief, seeing how they all process their grief and attempt to cope. As much as they say they’re hurting, we don’t really see it, missing out on whatever impact they could’ve had. The film truly suffers from a lack of scope, which a few more rewrites could’ve solved.
When I attended the after-party at No Bar in The Standard, a common source of discourse was praising Brit Shaw for her work as the lead and producer. The film was shot during the height of COVID in Georgia and experienced all the expected challenges. The film was shot before we had vaccines or rapid testing, so the filmmakers needed to be accommodated for the health and safety of the cast and crew. Actors had to be separated for social distancing or quarantines, scenes had to be shot quickly before losing the locations, and the post had to be coordinated across different states. They even had to shoot around William Samiri’s growth spurt, who was Shaw’s height by the film’s release. Learning more about the production gave me tremendous respect for everyone involved the film.
Peace in the Valley tackles a community often ignored, and a lot of heart went into the production. I think people who live in neighborhoods similar to the film will relate to it, maybe even picking up on cultural shorthand that’d make the movie more engaging. As is, the film feels incomplete, and it wouldn’t have taken too many more drafts to create something truly compelling.
