All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023) Movie Review

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is the first feature length movie for writer and director Raven Jackson. It follows the life of Mack from her childhood days to when she sports gray hair as an older lady. This isn’t a traditional linear plot. Scenes from each era of her life slide in easily next to each other in non-sequential order. The cadence feels more like a dream or small vignettes of memories to be savored. 

Nothing much happens in these scenes. And yet, each moment feels monumental. Jackson encourages us to sit quietly and absorb each meaningless interaction that somehow adds up to a whole life. A mother bathing her crying newborn. A pregnant Mack takes a bath. Sisters walk home together at night. A father teaches his daughter how to fish. Every instance builds Mack’s character and contributes to who she becomes. 

In our fast paced world where we can scroll endlessly through video after video and image after image without really registering them, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt urges us to slow down. There’s something calming about the movie, even when bad or sad things are happening on screen. It feels nice to sit behind Mack (Charleen McClure) as she gazes out at the rain from her porch. Cinematographer Jomo Fray focuses on small details in every scene. And editor Lee Chatametikool often leaves the camera on a ribbon or a face for a beat longer than would be traditional. The effect is the slowing of the movie, which is refreshing for those who are comfortable sitting and deeply processing simple scenes. 

Jackson’s debut won’t be for everyone. But this quiet reflection on life’s most mundane moments is a towering feat for a first time filmmaker. 

You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like non-linear storytelling
2. You want to see a quiet, contemplative movie
3. You want to feel as if you’re watching a dream