In his masterful feature debut, acclaimed actor Michael Shannon paints a riveting portrait of Janice LaRue, a middle-aged mother coming to terms with a shooting spree perpetrated by her son. Adapted from Brett Neveu’s 2002 play — which debuted at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago — the film follows the shell-shocked Janice (Judy Greer) as she attempts to navigate the tragedy in her small town. Some try to help; others condemn her outright. While a local pastor tries to reconcile Janice with the victims’ mothers, Janice’s feeble husband (Alexander Skarsgård) finds refuge in an upstart church led by a motivational preacher Steppenwolf’s Tracy Letts. But Janice must find her own way.

With stunning performances led by Greer’s riveting portrayal of a deeply pained yet resilient mother, Eric LaRue is a penetrating psychological drama about grief, guilt, and atonement that builds to a profound and cathartic conclusion.