Harley Wallen is a man of many hats. Writer/Director/Producer and Actor to name a few. Fathers (2026) gives us a “day in the life,” as it were, of a new Patty Hearst. Similar to the real male father figure in the 1974 kidnapping, this young lady’s real fam is no treat.
*One has to be a certain age, I think, to remember the Hearst family. Patty, is the granddaughter of newspaper scion William Randolph Hearst. Their news empire was part of Old Hollywood’s history. Although Natalie’s ordeal is more mental that torturous.*
This is a lean toward the screen movie. Wallen takes us, the viewer, by our collective lapels and shoves us, metaphorically speaking, into the whole sordid mess. It is nigh on breath taking at times. Trust me, you cannot stop watching this one. As much as I love Wallen’s work, this one had me from the very first frame.
Fathers Story
In short order, we meet Natalie and Bobby. The story pans out in dribs and drabs. Natalie is traumatised by her unorthodox upbringing. Flashes of the past take a long time to come together. Understandably, the system; Law Enforcement and therapy, must make baby steps to get into Nat’s memories.
We live young Nat’s life with Bobby. Both as a child and as a young woman. Her version of reality is force fed to her, via fatherly “love” as Bobby becomes her “dad.”
The Father’s Cast
Kaiti Wallen is Natalie Dryden
Harley Wallen is Bobby Nash.
Jerry Hayes is Calvin Dryden.
Emilia Wallen is Young Natalie.
Leslie Mechigian is Bridget Porter.
Deon Hunt is Det Parker.
Yancey Fuqua is Det Booker.
Grover McCants is Chief Norris.
Cast is Queen and King
The casting here, under the eye of Kaiti Wallen, is spot on. Emilia looks and feels like the real deal here. We believe wholeheartedly that she really is the young version of our beleaguered protagonist.
There is not one character who feels out of place in this dramatic mystery. The two cops, soft pedalling their interrogation with Nat and Bridget; i as the equally cautious therapist. Calvin, who manages to convey in a very short amount of time, is dislikable. He is not a carbon cutter “care bear” estranged father figure.
Harley Wallen walks the narrow path of insanity cum brainwashing kidnapper with the ease of a tightrope performer.
There are moments, scattered throughout, that make us believe his story. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of red flags.
Fathers Works
The magic is in the performances and the writing of the characters. There are, at least to me, some nods that show a love of the craft. The two detectives are a perfect example. *Is there anyone who does not think of Frank Drebin? “Sgt, take her down and book her.” Two officers named Takeherdown and Booker. In this case, it would be Parker and Booker. A bit of delicious humour hidden in plain sight.*
Deon Hunt pulls double duty as the cinematographer and it shines. Each frame and shot set up is on the money. Editor Bradford Clark puts it all together brilliantly.
Fathers is a compelling tug of war between camps. An internal war in Natalie’s mind. Conflicting and confusing memories that try to protect her from a harsh, and terrifying reality.
Impossible to Stop
This bit of lightning in a bottle is impossible to stop watching. Repeated viewings reveal just how much you are missing. There is so much going on and it is such a battle to find out the truth. In terms of delivery? When the film ends, the viewer tends to exhale with relief…
The Verdict
Fathers is a solid hit. A home run that is a clean and solid win. 5 out of 5 stars for a film that grips you and holds you through its entirety. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime. I really cannot recommend this offering enough. Wallen has nailed it, he and his “crew” definitely earned all those awards from the Festival Circuit.
Do not miss this one. It is that good. At a run time of 94 minutes, the film flies by. Watch it now and thank me later.
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