“What if I wasn’t ready to be making those kinds of decisions?”

This question, spoken by Joe Yoo, is featured in “May December,” the latest film from Todd Haynes, which was inspired by the disturbing Mary Kay Letourneau scandal that occurred in the 1990s. 

Taking place in 2015, “May December” follows Elizabeth Berry, an actress who travels down to Georgia to research Gracie and Joe Yoo —  a married couple whose relationship was covered by the tabloids — for an upcoming film that chronicles the scandal from which it emerged. 

Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance as Elizabeth. Several scenes show her fantastic performance, such as a monologue in the third act of the film, where she reads a letter that Gracie wrote to Joe.

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Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Gracie is downright chilling. Moore portrays a manipulative, predatory figure who feels no shame in the crime that she committed. There are moments throughout the film where she is emotionally distraught, such as a scene where she is weeping over someone canceling their cake order.  

It’s hard to describe how devastating Charles Melton is in his portrayal of Joe Yoo. Melton embodies a man struggling to deal with his trauma and the fact that Gracie took advantage of him when he was only in middle school. A sequence in which he confronts Gracie over their relationship showcases his heartbreaking performance.

With his latest film, Todd Haynes tackles the exploitation and sensationalism of abuse by the tabloids, with the usage of melodrama tropes. Haynes, a prominent filmmaker for which melodrama has been a large influence on his films (such as 2002’s “Far From Heaven,” a homage to the films of Douglas Sirk, also starring Moore), utilizes these tropes, such as the extensive usage of the piano-heavy score composed by Marcelo Zarvos and Marcel Legrand in dramatic moments. There is also a montage in the first act where Elizabeth skims through different tabloids that have covered the horrifying scandal as research material for the film, emphasizing the sensationalism around this scandal. There are several points in the film where it becomes downright uncomfortable, such as the letter monologue, which features an excruciatingly long take of Elizabeth staring at the camera while she reads this disturbing letter. 

In terms of the screenplay, Samy Burch wrote an excellent script with some genuinely heartbreaking dialogue, such as Joe’s confrontation.

Christopher Blauvelt, the film’s cinematographer, captures some outstanding shots. For instance, there is a zoom shot of Joe Yoo sitting on the couch, staring off at the TV — along with hazy shots off the coast of Joe and Gracie’s house on Tybee Island. One of the more standout shots of the film is a long take of Gracie applying makeup to Elizabeth’s face, with both being at the center of the frame. 

With “May December,” Todd Haynes holds a mirror up to Hollywood and the overall sensationalism of tragedy and abuse. His direction, along with an excellent cast (such as a heartbreaking performance from Charles Melton), results in a fantastic film that is at times quite uncomfortable to watch. 

It is a film that leaves the viewer with this question: How much of society is complicit in the sensationalism of abuse?  

“May December” is available for streaming on Netflix. 

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