Review: Furlough

Tessa Thompson in Furlough

Furlough is a lighthearted comedy dressed up in serious outfits. It’s about a part-time prison guard meant to take a prisoner on a home visit to see her dying mother.

A great cast and a woman director are the draw for Furlough. Nicole Stevens (Tessa Thompson) is a rookie prison guard at a women’s prison. She lives at home with her Moms (Whoopi Goldberg) and does everything for her.

Whoopi Goldberg in Furlough

The characters in Furlough are comedy cutouts, with Whoopi Goldberg’s Moms being the most blatant. She calls her daughter every 3 1/2 seconds, and Nicole doesn’t have the sense to shut her up.

Melissa Leo and Tessa Thompson in Furlough

Inmate Joan Anderson (Melissa Leo) receives permission to have a 36 hour weekend away from the prison to visit her dying mother. She’s wildly enthusiastic about getting out of her cell and manages to bamboozle her way into all kinds of unlikely situations. She fast talks her guard into unshackling her and gets completely free of her several times. She isn’t trying to run away, she just wants to have a good time.

By the end of the weekend, Joan Anderson is a happy woman, Nicole Stevens has grown up a whole lot, and life looks pretty good for them both.

Anna Paquin, Edgar Ramírez, Erik Griffin, La La Anthony, and Damien Lemon round out the cast. The film was directed by Laurie Collyer.

I found Furlough on Showtime, but it’s also on several other streamers. If you need a movie that is light and fun, take a look at this one.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself looking at movies when I don’t have the time or interest to start another lengthy binge watch of some new series. This film fits that category perfectly. Quick and easy.

The poster for Furlough

The trailer gives you the whole plot. You can watch it in this earlier post, and also learn something new about Tessa Thompson while you’re there.


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