The timing of The Tale is fortuitous, but I fear that the hype associated with the #MeToo label might somehow obscure what is ultimately a slow, delicately put together film. In fact, it tries so hard not to sensationalize a deeply-rooted trauma that it drags along a little too much. That's not to say that The Tale pulls punches in its treatment of childhood sexual abuse. Several people walked out of the Sundance screening, faced with the uncomfortable sight of then-11-year-old Nélisse intimately interacting with a 34-year-old Ritter. And though the scenes of them in bed were shot using a body double (Fox used non-sexual cues to direct Nélisse for reaction shots), the onscreen result is no less troubling to watch. (Although, the standing ovation it reportedly received at Sundance also indicates its importance despite — or perhaps because of — it being difficult to grapple with.)