Naomi Jaye’s Darkest Miriam may wear the cloak of a quirky drama, but beneath its eccentric garbs is a rather intriguing examination of love and grief.

Britt Lower stars at the titular Miriam, a librarian who spends a good portion of her days filling out incident reports related to the library’s daily patrons, ranging from the pale female who steals dentures to an immigrant who routinely faints, who inhabit the library. While work is filled with plenty of oddities, her personal life finds stability when she begins a relationship with Janko (Tom Mercier), a Slovenian taxi driver and artist.

Things take a more mystical turn when Miriam discovers letters, seem to be documenting incidents in her life, and a signed copy of her father’s favourite opera in a book.

As the lines between past and present blur, and strange events happen to Miriam, Jaye’s film floats on a hypnotic wave. Lower’s subtle turn brings rich emotional layers to the character. While not every beat hits the right note, the film remains fascinating throughout. Darkest Miriam is a captivating look at how we can lose sight of the future by clinging to the past.