The Unspeakable Act (2013)

One of the American cinema’s best-kept secrets, writer-director Sallitt has been steadily building up a devoted following among film critics, many of whom consider THE UNSPEAKABLE ACT to be his breakthrough film. Set in Brooklyn, the story centers on 17-year-old Jackie (Medel in a radiant performance), who enjoys a close relationship with her older brother Matthew and candidly expresses her desire to take it to the next level (or, as she calls it, “the I-word”). Matthew’s departure for college leaves Jackie in a limbo between arrested development and risky maturity. Dedicated to Eric Rohmer and compared by critics to J.D. Salinger, Sallitt’s film treats its touchy subject with subtle wit and psychological insight.