“Plucked” follows Katherine Greene, whose decision to divorce her emotionally unstable husband collides with a high-stakes dinner party meant to preserve appearances.
“Plucked” doesn’t open with Katherine’s husband doing something inconsiderate. Instead, he actually shows up with pastries. While the tension between Katherine and Peter is clear, the film would have benefited from building up the characters before telling viewers whose side to pick. It’s a similar problem to the one in “Wuthering Heights,” where the characters’ insufferable qualities make them all unlikable. Eventually, however, the central themes begin to differentiate — when it becomes clear that Katherine isn’t exaggerating her unhappiness; Peter is legitimately a lunatic. While Emerald Fennell’s film explored individuals who fall into a cycle of toxic love, co-writer-directors Usher Morgan and Katie Vincent deliver a story of liberation.
“You built a cage for me.”
They do this through a tale of two halves. The first half of the 110-minute runtime has a gradual buildup of tension between the two leads. After this reaches its ultimate breaking point, it almost turns into a different movie entirely. As a whole, it maintains a dark-comedy tone, with much of the comedy coming early and much of the darkness coming later. This tonal shift is initially abrupt, but also expected. As hearts are broken and blood is shed, the messaging comes across effectively.
2026 has already featured several movies revolving around the idea of love, including “The Invite,” “Blow the Horn” and more. Feminism is at the center of “Plucked,” which mixes historical and modern ideas about what a marriage should look like. While it’s too on the nose at times, Morgan and Vincent don’t beat you over the head with these concepts. It’s not an “all men are bad” kind of movie. Instead, it promotes individuality and freedom.
“Plucked” takes place in Gilded Age New York — “1886…ish” — but doesn’t attempt to be entirely historically accurate. Production designer Casey Schwartz and costume designer Cynthia Oliveira Souza bring a touch of elegance to the Greenes’ home and everyone’s wardrobe. Giuseppe Masi’s cinematography complements this with slow movements and low-key lighting. While the movie looks the part, the mood makes it entirely different from most other period pieces.
Vincent (Katherine Greene) not only co-wrote and co-directed “Plucked” but also stars. Her character isn’t afraid of the uncomfortable. She delivers stone-cold lines of dialogue that directly oppose everything you’re supposed to do in social situations. The performance is loud and direct, perfectly expressing the fierceness of Katherine. Jared Canfield (Peter Greene) maintains an agitated presence throughout. At times, this comes through in simple sighs and glares, while at others, it erupts into raspy screams and complete meltdowns. Bryant Carroll (Nigel) delivers a performance that’s full of gibberish and stumbles. He steals every scene he’s in with drunken theatrics. Also appearing are J. Anthony Crane (James), Catherine Curtin (Maggie) and Tony D. Head (Oswald).
“Plucked” travels to the past for a story of personal emancipation. The time period may not match the tone, but it remains relevant for modern audiences.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
