Steal Away review: Where friendship becomes survival

Sometimes when something feels too good to be true, it is. However, after experiencing tremendous difficulty, it can be harder to recognize a more refined evil. Instead, you focus on the positive and the improvement of your situation. When something questionable occurs, you rationalize it away. After all, it doesn’t seem that bad and you don’t want to rock the boat. But then by the time you realize it’s a dangerous situation, it’s too late. That’s what happens to the young woman in Steal Away.

Cécile (Mallori Johnson) and her mother (Isabelle Menal) receive a warm welcome into Florence’s (Lauren Lee Smith) home, escaping war-torn Congo in search of a better life. Florence’s daughter, Fanny (Angourie Rice), takes an immediate liking to Cécile. The girls are a similar age, but Cécile is far more mature. Though they’re not the first refugees to have a layover in the house, Fanny seems especially enamoured by their latest houseguest. Cécile encourages Fanny to venture outside her comfort zone, while indulging in her own freedom with the houseboy, Rufus (Idrissa Sanogo). But secrets reveal the girls may only be able to trust each other.

An uneasy friendship develops between Fanny and Cécile. Fanny lives a sheltered life, experiencing the world through the international women that come through their revolving door. She’s socially awkward and appears to be an outcast among her peers. Consequently, Fanny envies Cécile’s poise and carefree interactions with the local boys. She isn’t weighed down by her past and enjoys her freedom with a natural zest and sexual confidence.

Even though they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it can feel off-putting. Fanny tries to emulate Cécile, copying her hairstyle and borrowing her clothes. Fanny hopes her crush, Rufus, will finally notice her. Unfortunately, he only has eyes for their new arrival. In addition, Fanny’s mimicry looks a lot like cultural appropriation, though she appears too naïve to realize what she’s doing is insensitive.

The film is very well casted. Each of the young women embody their characters’ distinct personalities. Rice is awkward with flashes of brazenness that are more concerning than praiseworthy. Conversely, Johnson is effortlessly charismatic and self-possessed. Sanogo is mostly a pretty face, but he also brings another level of emotional complexity to the narrative.

Director and co-writer Clement Virgo’s first feature in three years is loosely based on the true story of an American slave who escaped to Canada after being gifted to a young girl. The location and time of the film are intentionally vague. There is no technology to point to a certain period. Nor are the characters’ clothing connected to any identifiable trends. Instead, Virgo sets the picture in this ambiguous place that perpetuates historical trauma.

The narrative is a variation of the white saviour complex. Florence represents the liberator rescuing these young women from their war-ravaged countries. She treats them equal to if not better than Fanny, who tends to disappoint in all her endeavours. Slave owners expressed similar sentiments, imagining their labourers were better off not living “primitively.” In actuality, they use these people for their own ends until they no longer serve a purpose.

Florence’s kindness is a distraction. There’s something sinister happening in that house, but its exact nature isn’t revealed until later in the narrative. In the meantime, the local clampdown on illegal immigrants seems out of place in a story about refugees finding a new life. But it serves as another sign that something is not right about this arrangement. It eventually becomes clear these horrors persist through complicity and complacency, and the only solution is escape.

Director: Clement Virgo
Starring: Angourie Rice, Mallori Johnson and Lauren Lee Smith