James has served time for drowning a little boy when he was a child, although the body was never found in the river. Released from juvenile prison, James seeks to atone for his role in the death of a child, that may give a grieving mother closure.
A rather drab and listless mood piece that, despite best efforts of cast and crew, will serve as a prime example for anybody arguing this sort of drama has been dragged down the river too many times before.
A haunting mystery-drama, Downriver gradually layers characters and details until we have a better picture -- though never complete -- of what happened and the consequences of an unresolved crime.
"Downriver" is the kind of graceful provocation that slips around a corner before you can pinpoint its intentions, and that keeps it arresting as both an inquiry and a character study.
