PHOTO BY FRANCOIS DUHAMEL / NETFLIX

In the drama “May December,” the collision between small-town scandal and Hollywood mythmaking results not in explosions — but rather, in slow decay.

Explosions would be out of place in a film by Todd Haynes, the filmmaker behind such subtle masterpieces as “Carol” and “Far From Heaven.” It would be reductive to say that Haynes’ films put tone over plot, though they are triumphs of unspoken atmosphere. More accurately, they are movies that contain far more words than are actually spoken; you cannot explain what a scene or sequence in one of his best films means, you can only observe and feel.

“May December” depicts the meeting between an actress and a tabloid darling. The latter, Gracie (Julianne Moore), spent years in jail for a patently unethical — indeed, criminal — relationship; as the 36-year-old manager of a small pet store, she began an affair with a 13-year-old employee. (Affair, of course, is an overly generous term; assault is more appropriate.)

Twenty-plus years later, Gracie is out of jail and married to her lover/victim, Joe (Charles Melton). While her friends and family certainly don’t condone the circumstances, Gracie and Joe are treated civilly in their small town, and their three children — the oldest having been born behind bars — are well liked. (The film is loosely based on the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau.)

While Gracie maintains a small baked-goods business and Joe prepares for life as an empty-nester (at just 36), Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) visits their Georgia town to prepare to play Gracie in an upcoming film. Elizabeth displays a carefully crafted facsimile of earnestness; it is clear she’s not genuine, but you can’t pinpoint why. Gracie, meanwhile, exhibits a defiant refusal to please; she is never confrontational yet never accommodating.

A hyperactive, daytime-movie style score (by Marcelo Zarvos) highlights the incongruity; Elizabeth is looking for salacious and vibrant signs of scandal, while the world of Gracie and Joe is pedestrian and unglamorous. Visiting the pet shop where the couple became acquainted, Elizabeth asks to see the stock room where they had sex; the owner of the shop seems concerned.

He’s not worried about the power of the place, though — “Don’t touch the bait,” he says. He doesn’t want the actress knocking over any worms.

A strong thread connects Gracie and Elizabeth: Both are accustomed to being constantly observed, their existence open for continuous gapes. That bond, though never addressed, creates a kinship in spite of all other differences; it’s a contradiction perfect in a Todd Haynes movie. The movie is also blessed with a remarkable cast, led by two women whose next collision may be over a gold statue.

My Rating: 9/10

“May December” will begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 1.