We all love an underdog story – unless one occupies the rarefied air of never having encountered any kind of difficulty or personal challenges, we’ve all encountered various obstacles, leading us to be predisposed to stories of people who overcome enormous hardships in some way or another, and its always heartening to find examples of people who were put through the emotional wringer, only to emerge victorious by the end, which usually takes a lot of work and even more passion to achieve, especially when relying on your own skills. This is precisely the quality that makes the story of Amanda Ogle so compelling – a few years ago, she was out of a job, and as a result of struggling to find steady employment was forced to live in her car, which was temporarily stolen before being abandoned, leading to it being towed away, kept in the custody of a parasitic towing company that decides that Amanda is their next victim, leading her to accrue a staggering debt, despite her best efforts to recover her vehicle. Aided by a rambunctious young lawyer and a group of supportive friends, Amanda decides to take on the company herself, refusing to back down or allow herself to be intimidated by the corporate bullies who don’t realise the tenacity contained within this woman. Her story has been brought to life on screen by director Stephanie Laing in Tow, a heartfelt and funny account of the year Ogle spent battling unemployment, homelessness and addiction, all the while fighting to regain possession of the one thing that gave her any sense of freedom, and ultimately discovering new dimensions to herself in the process. It’s a simple film that can sometimes veer towards the overly sentimental on one too many occasions, but one that does everything it needs in order to be at least most serviceable, relying on a few common techniques but never being anything less than captivating where required.

We frequently see stories of ordinary people finding themselves on the wrong side of the socio-cultural tracks, forced to become cogs in a machine that only serves the elite. This is why we can relate so heavily to Ogle’s story,  since she was someone who refused to allow herself to just be another voice silenced by the system, choosing instead to fight with every fibre of her being to be heard, even if it meant putting herself and those around her in some uncomfortable positions. Tow is a very simple film that builds itself around a few common themes, which the director carefully and methodically deconstructs into something quite moving, working closely with screenwriters Jonathan Keasey and Brant Boivin to bring Ogle’s story to life on screen. It’s extremely conventional, and the thematic inventory that we find defining this film is nothing particularly revolutionary, since this is essentially the story of someone who knew she deserved better, and does whatever is necessary to prove her value to a world that sees her as just another statistic, someone who is more appropriately shoved into a corner and left out of sight of those who supposedly do matter. It’s an inspiring story, and one that Laing uses as the starting point for a film that looks at underdogs as more than just victims, but rather positions them as steadfast fighters, people who knew their worth and were willing to take any risks needed to show the rest of the world that they are not to be ignored. The film touches on many themes plucked directly from Ogle’s own life, covering subjects such as addiction (not only her own, but also those of some of the people who surround her, since this is a vital topic that often guides the film to a more compassionate place), the housing crisis, the economic challenges faced by working-class Americans and the unfair legal system that will always favour those with the resources to take advantage. It’s a solid premise, and lends itself to a far more engaging film than we would initially imagine.

As we’ll discuss momentarily, Tow is a film that does contain quite a bit of cliché, especially since it’s not something that necessarily attempts to be particularly challenging. The only way to make such a conventional story work is to cast the film correctly, even if it means going for slightly more obvious choices in certain places. Ogle is portrayed by Rose Byrne, an actor who quite simply does not need to be introduced as some generational talent – very few performers from her generation have been able to so effectively conquer a range of genres with not only sincerity, but a precision that has allowed her to master so many different kinds of roles. From the most outrageous comedy to bone-chilling horror, Byrne has proven herself constantly over the past two decades, and has earned her place within the canon of the most exciting performers working today. Tow is certainly not going to be seen as her defining role (especially not since it comes only a year after her astonishing performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which is perhaps the moment she truly established herself as an indelible member of the acting community, at least in terms of exposure amongst critics and audiences), but rather one of the many reliable, well-acted performances that showcase her versatility and, perhaps most importantly, the undeniable humanity she brings to every role. She’s absolutely stellar in the film, running the gamut of emotions and bringing so much sincerity to a part that could’ve been hopelessly bland in the hands of many other actors. The supporting cast is not as well-developed, but there are standout performances from the always brilliant Octavia Spencer (who has oddly been acting much less frequently in recent years), Simon Rex and Dominic Sessa, who may still be something of a newcomer, but is undeniably going to be a major star. Actors like Ariana DeBose and Demi Lovato do their best, but are given weaker characters that don’t quite fit with the specifics of the film, but nonetheless do still contribute to an eclectic and compelling ensemble tasked with bringing this story to life on screen.

Even without the fact that it is based on a true story, we already knew to expect something more emotionally dense when it came to Tow, which is a film that seems to realise that it is working from a relatively conventional premise and therefore didn’t need to put too much effort into doing anything too daring. This does make sense, since this specific kind of true-life drama is not always appropriately represented when a filmmaker attempts to add layers of innovation, proving that some stories are more effective when they follow conventions. There are moments in Tow where the director has no choice but to venture into the most predictable and obvious tonal territories – there’s a significant amount of cliché scattered throughout, and the structure is nothing if not traditional, right down to each narrative beat, which is suitably predictable. No one steps into a film like this expecting to be challenged or coerced into adopting a new way of thinking, and any idea that this is a thought-provoking, daring attempt to redefine these key themes is misguided. We can ultimately forgive the film for being a bit saccharine – the emotions present in this story are understandably high, and the director never wastes any time in developing on the core subject matter, which proves to be far more obvious than we would expect. While I personally may have preferred a bit less sentimentality (such as the inclusion of some of the supporting characters, who are essentially nothing more than plot devices designed to push the story in a few different directions, likely adding layers of humanity in a story that is essentially just about a legal battle at its core), we can certainly appreciate that the director was so open in embracing this aspect, allowing the film to be sustained on the strength of the story alone, which is certainly more than enough to draw us into this narrative and keep us attentive, even at its most obvious.

Cinema has the power to make even the most banal and conventional stories seem extraordinary when given the right focus. How else do we explain Tow, a film that is essentially about an unhoused woman fighting a towing company in order to regain possession of her car, becoming such a moving, deeply compelling portrait of human resilience and the importance of giving a voice to those who exist on the margins? This is the kind of film that may not enlighten in the traditional sense – there’s no overly complex moral dilemma or intellectual debate at the heart of the film, but rather a very simple story of a woman who grows weary of being a victim of a system that supposedly protects all of its citizens equally, but in reality favours those who have the resources and influences needed to purchase the upper hand. It’s not difficult to see why this film will resonate, even amongst those who may not have experienced the hardship depicted on screen – we all are aware of how unfair society can be, and at some point we’ve known someone who exists on the margins, being exploited despite being vulnerable and in desperate need of some kind of assistance from a world that is openly hostile to anyone it deems unworthy. We’re not being asked to be inappropriately lenient on these characters – Ogle herself would be the first to admit that she was quite abrasive and didn’t always approach these challenges with the clearest perspective – but rather, we’re asked to simply give some time to this story, allowing ourselves to see the world through the eyes of a few characters who have not been handed the privilege of being able to have an easy life without these monumental challenges. While it may not be particularly daring, and can sometimes veer towards the cliched, Tow is nonetheless an effective film that finds the humour in a harrowing situation and reminds us of the undeniable value of common human decency.