Blu-Ray Review: Beneath The Harvest Sky

By Brad Henderson

What if I told you that you missed one of the best movies of 2014? What if I also told you that you never even heard of it? Luckily I didn’t make that mistake so I don’t want others to make it, either.

Every year I make a Top 10 list like every other person, but I make mine in advance because I get anxious. I never go back and make changes but I might do that this year because of this film. Beneath The Harvest Sky is one of the better films that I’ve encountered this year. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, real, and damn good. The Blu-ray was released in October and didn’t get much buzz at festivals, but I see why it didn’t. The title is boring and the cover is as well. Even reading the back, I felt this was going to be a two-hour indie drama that might bore me to tears. Again, I was wrong.

I didn’t go into the film thinking it would be bad; I just wasn’t excited about it. Within three minutes I was hooked. Not because of the opening scene, but how well shot it was. Every shot looks incredible. Also within those three minutes I realized we were going to be dealing with real characters in real situations. This is something I really love in movies. I love when we can relate, feel, and tell ourselves what we would do in a situation. This is something that can bring us closer to the characters and help us actually care about them.

Casper and Dominic have been childhood friends since birth and are inseparable. They both watch each other’s backs and stand up for one another if things get a little hectic. Casper and Dominic come from different backgrounds but both yearn for the same thing: to get out of this freaking town. Casper is a troublemaker and hot head but cares for who is close to him. Dominic has a protective mom and is a straight A student who does no wrong aside from hanging out with bad boy, Casper. With their attitudes set aside and their ambition molded together they set out to save up, buy a car, and never look back.

Another impressive aspect is that this is written and directed by a duo—Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly—and it’s their debut in the industry. How cool is that? It just sucks that this film didn’t create a bigger buzz but I’m hoping that it finds its audience soon enough.

Beneath The Harvest Sky may be basic but it’s real life with real people. We are living and breathing the same air as these kids and we feel what they feel. No matter what your life has been like, there’s something in this film that you will be able to relate to.

Beneath The Harvest Sky was released by Tribeca Film on October 14, 2014.