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Writer-director Trey Edward Shults does something amazing in "Krisha," his first feature film: He blows the dust off every depiction of family dysfunction, substance abuse and mental illness.

He accomplishes this with assured camerawork, a propulsive rhythm and a stellar cast — most of them his family and friends.

Shults' aunt Krisha Fairchild plays the title character. From the first moment, when Shults simply frames her face in his camera, two things are clear: This is a powerful actress, and this is one messed-up woman.

Krisha arrives at the home of her sister Robyn (played by Robyn Fairchild, who is not a professional actor but is the real Krisha's sister and Shults' mom). It's Thanksgiving, and the house is buzzing with activity. The women, including Robyn and their sister Vicki (played by their real sister, Vicki Fairchild), are in the kitchen, while the guys — Vicki and Robyn's husbands and several now-adult sons — are watching football.

Though Shults doesn't say it directly, it's clear Krisha has been away for a long time. "I am trying to live my life as a better human being," she tells Robyn's husband, Doyle (Bill Wise, one of the few pro actors in the cast), but she won't say much more.

She is determined to do right by her family, to make up for years when she was either absent or upsetting them. She aims to do this by setting for herself two high-pressure challenges: cooking the holiday turkey and having a heart-to-heart with her long-estranged son, Trey (played by the director).

Most of the family seems ready to welcome Krisha back. There are two notable exceptions, though: Trey, who is uneasy and quiet in her presence, and Doyle, who doesn't hold back his anger at her for past sins. At one point, Doyle dresses Krisha down: "You are heartbreak incarnate, lady. … If you think you can pop in and pop out of people's lives like this, you are malinformed."

It's at this point in a review where a critic might mention the hardships under which Shults made his directing debut: filming for next to nothing, raising funds via Kickstarter and shooting in his parents' house. But Shults doesn't just cope with those limitations, he transcends them, with skills and sensitivity it would take most directors years to establish.

He doesn't do it alone. Cinematographer Drew Daniels shoots long takes that capture the happy chaos of this family's Thanksgiving and Krisha's fear of ruining it all. Composer Brian McOmber's percussive score simulates the growing pressure on Krisha's nerves as the day goes on.

Shults' greatest ally, and greatest find, is his aunt, Krisha Fairchild. She gives a gritty, lived-in performance brimming with soul and heartache. She may be an unknown, but she's not likely to stay that way.

At the end of "Krisha," there's the semi-inevitable scene when all pretense is dropped and everything gets real. You know this scene, but you've never seen it like this, because Shults runs it twice — and the differences in inflection and tone speak volumes about Krisha's mental state and how her perceptions are at odds with reality. It's a shattering end to a beautifully realized and deeply emotional movie.

Twitter: @moviecricket —

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'Krisha'

A woman returns to the family she left a decade earlier in this beautifully heartbreaking drama.

Where • Tower Theatre.

When • Opens Friday, April 8.

Rating • R for language, substance abuse and some sexual content.

Running time • 83 minutes.