MOVIES SHOWING NOWHERE

An inquisitive, offbeat, angry girl becomes a time-travel assistant in this translated Dutch import.

Cate’s mum died in childbirth 12 years ago, leaving Cate with a father who retreats into his own world, leaving her at the mercy of their overbearing, critical neighbor, Cornelia, who cleans for them and tries to get Cate to suppress her feelings. After discovering a mysterious business card her father left on their piano, Cate finds her way to a movie theater that promises “Movies Showing Nowhere!” There, Cate meets the strangely familiar Mrs. Kano, who offers her a job. But this theater doesn’t show traditional films—it gives patrons the chance to venture back to specific moments in their pasts. As Cate becomes a time-mate, accompanying visitors on their trips, she affirms her desire to remain forever curious while learning to sympathize with the people in her own life—and perhaps be kinder to herself, too. Small details threaded throughout the story join together in an ever-expanding interconnected web to deliver a clever tear-jerker of an ending. Cate’s strong sense of justice and her fear of becoming cowardly or dull combine with the pain she feels from not knowing her mother to create a compelling, prickly veneer that explains why she lashes out at times and rings true to a preteen’s growing understanding of the world. All named characters are coded white. Lacet’s poignant art enhances the work.

Quirky, original, and cathartic.