The first time I saw “Take Me to the River” was at its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, but while watching the movie again more than a year later, its impact came rushing back to me in the first few minutes. I felt that tightness in my chest and stomach, that mix of anticipation of a film you know is terrific and the dread of knowing you’re about to be put through the wringer.
It’s the feeling repeat viewers get when they watch Janet Leigh check into the Bates Motel, or when Ruth Gordon gives Mia Farrow a pendant with some tannis root in it.