[2] After his dearest wife Fiona is suddenly killed in a car accident due to a traffic jam, Sherwin Owens goes to Maine to stay with his terminally ill mother-in-law, Lucinda, so they can grieve together.

However, Lucinda is resentful and distant, and Sherwin later discovers that she herself feels confronting guilt and grief over her daughter's death.

[4] The Wrap notes the detachment in the film, saying "'Five Nights in Maine' is as frustrating as it is mannered; we never see these characters truly engaging the pain they clearly feel.

"[5] A review in Maine Today says "The film is like a short story, in that we are presented with this snapshot of two lives and are left to fill in much of the meaning and the context.

"[6] Variety describes it as a "tasteful, challenging yet ultimately inscrutable debut feature [that] never quite lives up to the caliber of her fine cast.