Lowery’s poetic and visually-nuanced depiction of what is a classic, even predictable, love story set in 1970s rural Texas makes a lasting impression on the senses. A crime melodrama that never reveals the nature of the crime committed, it follows Ruth as she waits in uncertainty for Bob, the father of her child, to return from prison. Cinematography is painstakingly delicate and studied; a true example of empathetic camera work in terms of focus pulling, framing, and pacing, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints highlights the visual representation of emotional cadence and complexity. The poetry belying ordinary lived experience is this film’s striking feature, taking viewers beyond what the characters did or what will happen to them.