Carolina Caroline
**Seen at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival
Sure, what is one more riff on “Bonnie and Clyde.”
By now, the formula of a pair of criminal lovers has been around forever. A lot of these stories have similar elements- rebellious guy leads a girl into a life of crime, and the thrill fuels their relationship. Of course, there are many different variations, but the basic setup is typically the same. Adam Rehmeier’s “Carolina Caroline” follows the structure laid out in Tom Dean’s screenplay, if not to a “t,” at least close enough to where it feels like plagiarism. The performances by Samara Weaver and Kyle Gallner as the lovers are a highlight.
The opening scene is a prelude of what is to come, but the real story begins three months prior to that. Caroline Daniels (Weaver) is a store attendant at a small convenience store in a small town in Texas. One day, Oliver (Gallner) comes in, and pulls a straightforward money scam of the owner. She follows him, they get drinks, and not long after that, they’re on the road. Caroline leaves her dad (Jon Gries) behind, but promises to call him. Her goal is to go to South Carolina, which is where her mother supposedly lives. Along the way, they get a reputation, and they almost get caught. When will their luck run out?
Reheimer’s film benefits from strong work from his actors. Weaver and Gries have a strong connection as father and daughter, and Gallner is terrific as a wild card who is equally smart and risky at stealing. He takes some chances along the way that does come close to them getting caught. The connection is like many others in this subgenre- built less out of love but the thrill of the illegal nature of their actions. When Caroline does come in contact with her mother (Kyra Sedgwick), her dream becomes a nightmare, and it basically starts a chain reaction of bad choices that will lead to their demise. The performances is what drive our interest in “Carolina Caroline” by the end. Everything else feels like the same old story we’ve heard many times before.
