The Scent of Rain and Lightning

Starring Maika Monroe, Mark Webber, Will Patton, Bonnie Bedelia, Justin Chatwin, Brad Carter, Logan Miller and Maggie Grace. Directed by Blake Robinson. Opens Friday at the Carlton. 103 minutes. 18A

Everybody knows Billy Coyle (Brad Carter) is as guilty as sin and equally pugnacious. Fresh out of prison, where he spent years for killing the parents of 20-something Jody Linder (Maika Monroe), he’s in no mood to say sorry.

He laughs when a fearless and furious Jody shows up at his home to spit in his eye.

So goes the setup of The Scent

of Rain and Lightning, a Midwestern murder mystery steeped in atmosphere and deliberate character reveals that hint at revelations to come. Director Blake Robbins and screenwriters Jeff Robison and Casey Twenter, adapting a bestselling novel by Nancy Pickard, tease out what comes next as Jody turns amateur sleuth, questioning the official story of her family’s awful past.

An early reveal finds Billy’s contrite son (Logan Miller) changing a crucial fact about the murders. Jody also discovers things about her parents — played by Maggie Grace and Justin Chatwin in flashbacks — that suggests there’s more to the crime than meets the bloodshot eye. Monroe’s measured performance anchors a strong cast that overcomes occasional doldrums, confirming the stardom conferred by It Follows and The Guest.