Fresh out of high school, Joey has to decide what’s next. Her one-horse Pennsylvania town doesn’t offer much in the way of gainful employment, so her mother sends her off to the army, giving her a chance to see the world and save some money for college while she’s at it. But Joey’s plans for the future get complicated when, out of the blue, she falls in love with local seductress Rayna. This feature debut of screenwriter and director Deb Shoval, based on the award-winning short of the same name, is an absorbing, brilliantly acted love story of two women, full of well-written plot twists. Aside from its muted critique of a certain segment of American society, AWOL is primarily a deeply moving portrayal of the intoxicating blindness of a first love. It’s a story of courage, of what it means to put complete trust in someone, despite not knowing whether doing so will be a blessing or mean your downfall.