CAS & DYLAN directed by Jason Priestley, written by Jessie Gabe, with Richard Dreyfuss, Tatiana Maslany and Aaron Poole. A Pacific Northwest Pictures release. 90 minutes. Opens Friday (April 4). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNN
Cas & Dylan is an odd-couple road movie about a cranky old doctor (Richard Dreyfuss, well cast) and a free-spirited young woman (Orphan Black’s incredible Tatiana Maslany) driving west to bury a dog and escape the past. It’s slight, but it works well enough.
Making his feature directorial debut, the actor Jason Priestley – who’s been directing for the small screen since the 90s – encourages us to watch his actors goof around while slowly setting up higher emotional stakes.
As a result, the first half of Cas & Dylan may be silly and a little schematic, but the final act is sharp and moving, thanks to a surprisingly gutsy script and the actors’ unlikely chemistry. Damn if it doesn’t sneak up on you.
