‘Topside’ Review: A Mother-Daughter Drama Set in a New York You Haven’t Seen
variety.comMichael Nordine authorIt’s rare to be able to say that a movie shows a side of New York you’ve never seen before, but “Topside” does just that.
A subterranean drama whose first act is set below the city, where a downtrodden community has made a home of long-abandoned subway tunnels, this quietly affecting indie film from first-time helmers Logan George and Celine Held (who also stars) resides somewhere between “Dark Days” and “Leave No Trace” without feeling as familiar as its premise might suggest.
That’s thanks not only to Held, who pulls double duty both in front of and behind the camera, but also to a moving performance by newcomer Zhalia Farmer that’s reminiscent of Quevanzané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” “Stars don’t come down this far,” Nikki (Held) tells her five-year-old daughter Little (Farmer) one night in their makeshift hovel.
They’re eating peanut butter straight from the jar, mom stifling a cough from breathing in who knows what all day, and though their existence is meager it would appear to beat the alternative of emerging from the depths and entering society proper.
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