Traffic tickets can be utterly irritating, especially when you know you did nothing wrong… according to your version of events, that is.

In RETROGRADE, writer/director Adrian Murphy introduces us to 20-something Molly Richmond (Molly Reisman). When a traffic officer, stops her and her new roommate for what he calls “careless driving”, Molly decides she will contest this infraction.

Although many might call this a ‘minor infraction’, Molly goes down the rabbit whole of what it takes to clear her name and driving reputation. If this sounds mundane or perhaps petty to some of us, it is… to an extent. But you see, Molly is not a pushover. True to herself and her convictions, she will do whatever it takes to clear this citation – no matter who or what might get in the way.

Think of yourself in your early 20s, do you remember what that felt like? By thinking of Molly and how she handles her situation from this lens, you can probably understand why she behaves they she does. At times, her actions might make you cringe. At others, they may irritate you to no end.

The way she interacts with her friends, her coworkers, her boss, and even those at the court trying to help her resolve this traffic ticket problem, can seem rude, entitled, and obnoxious. To Molly though, she is at a point where she is asserting herself regardless of how others may see this.

Murray has written a really well defined character study of sorts here. One in which Reisman truly embodies her character and gives us a well rounded performance of this 20 something woman. I share with you some of her thoughts on her role and the film.

RETROGRADE has been commended for its tragic humour and for exploring truth and accountability through a dryly comic lens. It is a very singular and personal look at these themes, and one that will keep you engaged for its entirety.