Little Miss Sociopath (dir. Miv Evans)
By: Adam Freed
Who says death can’t be amusing? Certainly not Miv Evans, the writer and director behind Little Miss Sociopath, an independent dark comedy newly available on Prime Video. The morally complex film centers on Clementine, a young lady saddled with the full time care for her mentally deteriorating stepmother in the wake of her father’s passing. Clem, a pharmacy clerk, sees no end in sight to her long sleepless nights and emotionally acidic days until she meets Adam, a coworker with a penchant for mischief and an answer for all of life’s complexities. It doesn’t take long for Clem to fall for the charms of the handsome grifter and quickly succumb to selfishness. Although Little Miss Sociopath at times watches with the zaniness of a streaming sitcom, it is lifted by the twin performances of its alluring stars Jenny Tran (General Hospital, This is Us) and Brendan Michael Coughlin (Days of Our Lives, Underground). Tran and Coughlin share a palpable screen chemistry, which makes witnessing the sinister nature of their coalescence feel devilishly forgivable.
Once the diabolical duo hit full speed in their plan to clean up Clem’s family nightmare, it begins to feel that all bets are off. Despite a story that meanders off course slightly, following the budding romance as it falls deeper into depravity is a welcome departure from the sanitized meet cutes and misunderstandings of the rom com world. Director Miv Evans demonstrates a natural acumen for comedy, one that should only sharpen as she continues to build on the momentum of her feature debut. There are a few comedic moments in Little Miss Sociopath that miss, usually those that highlight the film’s overreliance on voiceover as a means of sharing interior monologue for comedic interjection. However, the dark comedy is given a wonderful boost in its second act with the addition of vivacious senior citizen Erica, played to scene stealing delight by Pamela Shaw (Walter, Swingers). There is a humorous haziness as it pertains to Erica’s history, and once Shaw is added to the already positive momentum established by stars Tran and Coughlin, it becomes obvious that Miv Evans has a vision, that although it may not satiate all comedic palettes, comes from a place of genuine artistic intent. Little Miss Sociopath is worthy of praise as it is an originally conceptualized independent dark comedy, which automatically frees it of the formulaic malaise that has haunted its genre competitors.
Target Score 6.5/10 - Writer and director Miv Evans isn’t afraid of wading into the dark waters of human nature in her Prime Video feature debut, Little Miss Sociopath. Evans’ dark comedy is lifted by the wonderful screen chemistry of stars Jenny Tran and Brendan Michael Coughlin, who beyond their unmistakable allure, team perfectly as Clem and Adam, a morally bankrupt duo, unafraid of embracing their unspeakable predilections.