Back Fork (2019) Apr 2026

The indie drama is a visceral exploration of the opioid epidemic through the lens of grief and personal collapse in Appalachia . Written, directed by, and starring Josh Stewart , the film serves as a "wake-up call" to the unassuming brutality of addiction in small-town America. Plot Summary

: The film avoids romanticizing addiction, instead focusing on Waylon’s struggle to find a way forward. At a crossroads, he eventually shifts his focus from asking "why" the tragedy happened to "where do I go from here?". Key Cast and Crew Waylon Josh Stewart Also wrote and directed the film. Nida A.J. Cook Known for Criminal Minds ; plays Waylon's grieving wife. Rayleen Agnes Bruckner Waylon's sister and fellow addict. Bill David Selby Waylon's emotionally repressed father. Cotton Wade Williams Plays a local drug dealer. Themes and Artistic Style 'Back Fork': Film Review - The Hollywood Reporter Back Fork (2019)

The narrative follows (Josh Stewart), a blue-collar family man in a small West Virginia logging town. Following an unbearable tragedy—the death of his young daughter—Waylon and his wife, Nida (A.J. Cook), find themselves unable to cope with their shared grief. The indie drama is a visceral exploration of

: As his marriage begins to crumble and his wife emotionally withdraws, Waylon turns to prescription pills to numb his pain. He finds a "kindred spirit" in his sister, Rayleen (Agnes Bruckner), who joins him in his downward spiral into addiction. At a crossroads, he eventually shifts his focus