Tahara

By: Lisa Steinberg

What would be the classic tale of teenage treachery and social climbing within high school takes a unique and deeper turn with Tahara, which takes place all within the span of one day at a synagogue.

The movie opens up as everyone arrives at synagogue for what seems at first like your average shull service.  We see Hannah Rosen (Rachel Sennott) sitting outside of the synagogue on her Instagram and the viewer is given a small glimpse at her Insta stories.  Her lifelong friend Carrie Lowstein (Madeline Grey DeFreece) pulls up and their story unfolds as we learn the congregation is actually there because a girl named Samantha, whom Carrie and Hannah both knew through their Hebrew school circle, has committed suicide and the synagogue is holding a funeral prayer service for her.  After the service the teens are made to sit an participate in a “Teen Talk” type of class to discuss their feelings and information about grief and the various processes it takes.  Not interested and apathetic, Rachel and Carrie decide to ditch the class as much as they can and hang out in the bathroom instead.  It’s there that Carrie has an awakening in more than one way.  Hannah is boy obsessed and leads with her hormones.  All she can talk about is cute guy Tristan and if she is a good kisser.  She begs and begs Carrie to help her practice and once they do in fact share a kiss, Carrie’s world turns upside down when she has an awakening with her sexuality.

Hannah manipulates and gaslights Carrie countlessly in an attempt to shift her status within the teen scene of the synagogue so that she can get Tristan (Daniel Taveras) to notice her.  The comedy of Hannah’s tragic attempts to get closer to Tristan and sexualize herself is that Tristan is actually more interested in Carrie, which makes Hannah turn the volume up on her cruel intentions towards Carrie out of spite and jealousy.  When Hannah begins to manipulate Carrie, we see Carrie slowly start to recognize that Hannah isn’t her best friend after all and the feelings that have begun for her between the two are not reciprocated and are shown out of convenience and opportunity. Meanwhile, with everyone supposed to be grieving, it turns out none of the teens cared even in the slightest that Samantha has taken her own life.  They only focus on the perception and personas that they put on in front of their classmates and grief counselor.

Director Olivia Peace gives a wide eyed and complex look at grief and death within the Jewish community, as well as innate teenage toxicity that is perpetuated. The viewer is treated to several creative camera angles ranging from an initial Instagram-esque peek, to tight shots of the teens cramped in the bathroom and sweeping glances at the synagogue’s sanctuary.  She also intersplices artistic imagery that adds another layer to the forward transitions as well as the view inside Carrie’s awakening. The film has a slow pace which doesn’t find its stride until we begin to understand more towards the middle of Hannah’s wicked games where the cracks and fractures of their friendship begin to show.

The audience has an awakening of its own about Hannah as the movie and Hannah starts to show their shades and it makes you wonder why it took Carrie so long to see beneath Rachel’s vapid shroud.  Sennott and Grey DeFreece have a natural rapport with one another where you see the dark chemistry and connection of the web that exists between their two characters.  Hannah is the spider and Carrie her willing fly until she sees up close for herself that the spider has been luring her in as prey the entire time.  Carrie is a young, queer Black Jewish woman who has her world turn upside down because of Hannah’s wicked games. This is a standout story which leaves you lingering on its bitterness and brutal assault on Carrie’s mentality.

Tahara twists the teenage tale of friendship and provides an angst laden look at diversity, life and grief all within short roller coaster rides that fluctuate between comedy and harsh emotional abuse in a spectacular and unabashed manner.

Tahara is streaming now through Outfest LA.