Patricia Arquette makes a strong showing with her directorial debut Gonzo Girl, adapting Cheryl Della Pietra's novel of the same name loosely inspired by her experience as Hunter S. Thomspon's assistant. After a chance encounter at a book reading, Alley (Camila Morrone) is offered her dream job — working as a writing assistant to Walker Reade (Willem Dafoe), an aging journalist and author whose drug and alcohol use have worn him into a fading legend. Tasked with getting Reade to finish his newest book, Alley struggles not to be consumed by his drug-soaked lifestyle while ensuring the job gets done by any means necessary. 

A 90s nostalgia piece where the characters themselves are nostalgic for older times, Arquette explores the dichotomy between the lofty, flattering ways we see ourselves, our pasts and our heroes versus the way we actually are. The fluctuating, tumultuous relationship between Willem Dafoe and Camila Morrone, as well as a colorful cast of side characters, breathe real life into this tale of ambition and legacy, reminding the audience that the reason we don't meet our heroes is because we might find they're just as human and flawed as the rest of us.—Hope Wager

Patricia Arquette