‘Magic Hour’ Review: Katie Aselton and Daveed Diggs Play a Long-Distance Relationship Going Sour in Daring Desert-Set Love Story

variety.com:

Stephen Saito The circumstances of the long-distance relationship between Erin (Katie Aselton) and Charlie (Daveed Diggs) are a little atypical in “Magic Hour,” but director-star Aselton and co-writer Mark Duplass have long been able to cook up tantalizing, high-concept hooks for dramas about mental strain.

It seems as if a weekend in Joshua Tree might offer a rare, in-person respite for the couple. But the rendezvous shows they couldn’t be further apart, setting up an even bigger drama at the heart of Aselton’s occasionally frustrating yet considerably daring drama.

Neither Erin or Charlie will mention exactly what’s driven a stake between them after Erin’s longtime friend (Brad Garrett) hands her the keys to his desert abode, and their vague use of “it” can irritate in the time it takes to get to the film’s big reveal.

However, “it” certainly has to be big when the two would seem to be inseparable in spirit, if not geographically. The two could easily be labeled as codependent, a term that could be unhealthy but is made to sound romantic when Charlie wonders aloud if they fit the bill after filming a happy birthday greeting for Erin (Katie Aselton).