Lean on Pete

Never staying anywhere long enough to set down any kind of roots or stability, Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer – All the Money in the World) is a loner who’s learnt to rely on himself. After his latest move, Charley falls into a summer job at a racetrack with veteran horse trainer, Del (Steve Buscemi – The Death of Stalin).

One of the jockeys, Bonnie, (Chloë Sevigny – The Snowman) warns Charley not to get attached to the horses. However, with the eponymous Lean on Pete, he finds a kindred spirit and forms a strong connection. When Del plans to send the elderly racehorse to the glue factory, Charley steals him and takes him on a journey through America to find sanctuary.

After his powerful performance in All the Money in the World, Charlie Plummer gives a controlled and poignant performance, in this film based on the novel of the same name by Willy Vlautin. The film has a sentimental tenderness at its core, but the director, Andrew Haigh, never lets it turn saccharine. This carefully underplayed and moving indie is well worth a watch.

Gail Marshall