“Over the GW” is a potent indie film by showrunner Nick Gaglia that is worth checking out while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital Journal has the scoop.
Most impressive is the fact that it was inspired by true events. It tells his own harrowing talent of drug rehabilitation in the late ’90s.
Nick Gaglia wrote and directed a gripping and daring independent movie that sheds light on the cult-like rehabilitation center abuses, brainwashes, and imprisonment of young teens where they are taken advantage of. It truly spotlights a mysterious world that very few people know exists.
George Gallagher gives a raw and unflinching performance as Tony where he is not afraid to be raw and vulnerable. Kether Donohue delivers as Tony’s sister Sofia Serra, while veteran actor Albert Insinnia gives a convincing performance as the diabolical director Dr. Hiller.
Gallagher and Donohue play troubled teenage siblings from the Bronx, and their mother, who had good intentions, brings them over the George Washington Bridge (hence the movie’s title) to a rehab center in Jersey.
The Verdict
Overall, Over the GW is a bold and compelling film. Filmmaker Nick Gaglia deserves to be commended for his guts and brevity in telling this story. The acting performances by George Gallagher, Kether Donohue, and Albert Insinnia are dark, intense, and overall, extraordinary. Kudos to all involved for bringing this gut-wreching story to life. It garners two thumbs up.
