The real reason that Katie Says Goodbye feels like such a Discovery, (aside from the fact that it is playing as a part of the program), is because it’s the first feature for Wayne Roberts. But the feeling and sense of discovery is evident throughout the film, both because Roberts creates and explores a landscape, but also because its star Olivia Cooke feels like a discovery in her own right.

What really starts to feel uncomfortable about this feature is that the kindest person to Katie may be a trucker named Bear (Jim Belushi), who pays to sleep with her. Along the way, she is treated poorly by her mother Tracey, (Mirielle Enos), Dirk (Chris Lowell), and encounters some difficulty with Bruno (Christopher Abbott).

But to truly understand the sense of discovery present in Katie Says Goodbye, it’s audience must submit to encountering a sense of remove present in many independent films. Through Katie’s struggles, the film demands that the audience addresses its sense of shame and morality towards every day treatment of young women.

[star v=35]