Following up her Oscar-nominated work in “Killers of the Flower Moon”, Lily Gladstone returns to the screen in a film that showcases more of her talent and range. Filmed in the Cherokee Nation, “Fancy Dance” is a small indie film focused on individuals struggling with compounding bad decisions and circumstances. Writer and director Erica Tremblay illustrates the conflicts of a Native American community living in poverty and highlights attitudes toward missing and murdered Indigenous women. As the film plays out, glued together Gladstone’s grounding performance, the basic plot is quite familiar. The film’s cultural highlights and perspective spare it from a rudimentary Lifetime Movie.

“You calling is different than me calling,” Jax (Gladstone), appeals to her Caucasian father Frank (Whigham). Jax’s sister has gone missing, it’s been weeks, and with FBI jurisdiction over federal land, there has been little searching and no follow-up. In and out of trouble with the law for running drugs, Jax is keeping an eye on her niece Roki (Olson) until her mother is found. Frank and his new wife think it’s best if Roki lives with her grandparents, “remove all this crazy from her life,” they insist. This prompts Jax to make another bad decision as she and her niece hit the road in stolen vehicles. With Amber alerts all over Oklahoma, Jax has little time to find her sister.