One of the strongest and most compelling elements of “Black Bear” is Plaza’s performance as she truly commands the screen with Allison’s controlling personality. She’s clearly comes with a purpose that she’s keeping hidden to herself and although she’s never exactly truthful with what she’s saying, Plaza constantly piques your curiosity just to keep you wondering what’s true and what’s not. Allison is also a huge provocateur, at least in the first half of the film, as she elevates issues between Blair and Gabe by throwing opinions out there and trying to back pedal out of it. Even for her causing a rift between these two likely for the sake of some dramatic inspiration, there’s still a distinct charm that Plaza brings to the character that keeps you invested and intrigued by everything she does. Continue reading NiGHTSTREAM Review: Black Bear