Finding Nicole continues prolific indie filmmaker Harvey Wallen’s journey in trying to abandon the typecast and the comfort zone of his past films. Wallen is no stranger to the industry, as he has been making movies for quite some time now. In recent years, he has built an ecosystem alongside a slew of collaborators who have stayed by his side. Kaiti Wallen, Richard Tyson, and Sean Whalen are some of the names always featured in his films. Finding Nicole is his most ambitious project to date. Although many would think that a drama is easier to make than genre films, they would be wrong.
Wallen lands in the world of true stories adapted to the big screen. The story is Nicole Beverly’s, one that’s been documented in shows like Inside Evil With Chris Cuomo and the book Finding Nicole: A True Story of Love, Loss, Betrayal, Fear and Hope. After meeting who would become her abusive husband, Beverly faced a monster that slowly unveiled his most primal intentions. The film realistically depicts this journey, with Kaiti Wallen at the forefront of an unsettling project where she displays her acting chops and how much they have evolved since she began her career as an actor.
Finding Nicole is a movie that doesn’t risk much in terms of the narrative. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel like a thinly spread story. Director Harvey Wallen does show what’s supposed to be shown, and conceals the details that are obvious. It’s a balance that works, and again, Kaiti Wallen strongly portrays a victim that ultimately becomes the survivor of her own tormentous process.
The film also sails often towards the legal drama narrative, and while these scenes become a bit predictable, they work in contrast to the most interesting part of the movie. Nicole’s growth, from victim to hero, is captivating, and only made possible by the director’s ability to construct a story that’s logical as well as engaging.
I can’t say I don’t miss Wallen’s campy horror. It’s what I fell for in the beginning, and something I’ve enjoyed in the past. But Finding Nicole is a bold presentation of the spin he wants to apply to his career. Hopefully, he’ll go back to making scary movies with the production value that makes Wallen’s filmography unique. But I also can’t say that I didn’t connect with Finding Nicole. It’s a movie made with passion, and co-written by a woman who decided to tell her story.
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
