An admirable study in tension and subtext, this glacially paced drama relies heavily upon inference and what is left unspoken to create a moody tonal piece that quietly intrigues. When Valerie (an effortlessly effective Sheila McCarthy) returns home after a decade-long prison term for vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, the son of the neighbour she killed shows up, set upon his own makeshift investigation of the incident. In a covert chess game inhibited by neighbourly politeness, Valerie embarks on her own counterstrategy to protect her family from long-held secrets that could prove devastating.

A finely wrought feature debut by filmmakers Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley.

Village 8, December 2 (6 p.m.) and 3 (12 p.m.)