The general concept of a writer returning to his small hometown after obtaining fame and fortune is a well-worn narrative. Thankfully, director Kate Cobb’s feature debut, Okie, does something more with that familiar concept. Cobb’s film is very much a commentary on the nature of storytelling itself.

The film stars Scott Michael Foster as Louie. If his father didn’t die, it’s unlikely Louie would have returned to his quaint hometown where everyone knows everyone else. Louie also has some major baggage from his past. This includes a tangled relationship with his ex, Lainey, played by Cobb. If Louie didn’t ditch small-town America for the bigger city, it’s possible he and Lainey could have had a future together. However, she wanted him to focus on college and his writing career.

Upon his return, Louie encounters an old friend, Travis (Kevin Bigley). Unlike some of the other characters, especially Lainey, Travis comes across as just a little too cliche, from the outfit choices to the dialogue. In fact, the moment Louie has a reunion with him, Travis pokes fun at the fact that Louie drives a Prius and can afford such a high-end vehicle. I desperately wanted some of these characters, Travis specifically, to be a little less cliche, especially since he plays such a large role.

Though Travis, Lainey, and Louie drink and laugh together, there’s clear tension. More specifically, these characters aren’t happy with the way Louie depicted his hometown in his three best-selling books. They even mention that Louie was too hard on his old man. This feature debut works best when Cobb comments on the act of storytelling itself and whether or not Louie hurt people from his past to advance his own career. Further, memory itself is tricky. The way Louie recalls past events may differ from Lainey and Travis’ recollections. That’s, in part, the challenge of writing. Was Louie accurate and truthful in his portrayals? That’s up for debate.

In terms of tone, the film struggles. Much of it plays out like a drama. However, the last act, when the trio attends a fair, veers into some horror territory. It’s a tonal shift that feels a bit jolting. I rarely say that a film should have been longer, but at points, this feature feels a bit too rushed and would have benefited from a slightly longer runtime to improve the tonal shifts and to establish the town more as a character.

Still, despite its flaws, Okie is a decent feature debut. It takes a familiar concept of the city boy as an outsider and uses that to ponder the very nature of storytelling itself. Though this film struggles with tone and pacing, I’m excited to see what Cobb does next.