Star Tribune reviews Acting Class

In his last book, 2018's "Sabrina" (the first graphic novel to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize), Nick Drnaso conjured up an America marked by atomization and an inability to separate fact from fiction. In his latest tale, "Acting Class," the atmosphere of boredom, longing and the desire for something greater has only become more pronounced.

A group of people primarily united by a shrugging, low-key boredom with their lives come together for an acting class whose disturbingly personal ultra-Method exercises turn out to be nothing like what they or the reader expect.

At first, the story highlights awkward misconnections. Though the characters have little in common or much to say, they are told by the politely insistent teacher to learn acting by exposing their deepest selves. Before long, though, those exercises take on the air of anxiety dreams. But as their teacher puts them through increasingly lengthy hypnotic nightmares and conducts classes in ever-more remote locations, the class follows along unquestioningly.

With their mild manners and dialogue of bland pleasantries ("that's nice") frequently hiding uglier perversities, they seem almost like robotic caricatures of small-town Midwesterners by way of David Lynch. This impression is highlighted by Drnaso's style, which emphasizes flatly inexpressive features and hauntingly empty landscapes.

It's possible that "Acting Class" relies almost too much on its inarguably surprising and disturbing reveal to cap things off. But his careful building of suspense and overpoweringly eerie mood makes the long build worthwhile well before the final and powerfully cinematic twist.