Jay Kelly (2025) Film Review

Famous movie star Jay Kelly and his devoted manager, Ron, embark on an unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men confront the choices they’ve made, relationships with loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.

Jay Kelly is directed by Noah Baumbach director of Frances Ha (2012), While We’re Young (2014), The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), Marriage Story (2019), White Noise (2022) and a few others. 

After the disappointing White Noise (2022), I was hoping Baumbach would come back with something much stronger. He sort of did, Jay Kelly is not one of Baumbach’s absolute best films but it does admittedly have heart. There is something here that works perhaps it’s lines such as “All my memories are movies” or it’s the beautifully done supporting performances that really push the film into this beautiful area. Jay Kelly is definitely flawed but there is still so much to like about it. 

George Clooney it’s solid here, it’s by far one of his better performances as of late. Clooney gives this very wounded performance of a famous actor who is constantly reflecting on his life choices, relationships and even his legacy. There are a lot of quiet moments that really set the scene and let them play out, Clooney takes it from there and gets to show off just how great of an actor he really is. Although not every single element of Jay Kelly’s (played by George Clooney) full comes together, there is still so much thought put into it here that you can’t help but love what’s being done. 

The supporting cast is doing quite a lot of heavy lifting here, particularly Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup and Riley Keough. Adam Sandler is very strong here due to his character Ron Sukenick is often the one that who the viewer gravitates towards the most. The character writing for Ron is quite impressive, the film explores his character and his bond with Jay Kelly in this grounded way that really feels sincere. Sandler himself gives this subtle and heartwarming performance that shows he can juggle both dramatic and comedic moments expertly. 

Riley Keough is the emotional part of the film, even if she does not get a whole lot in terms of character writing. There is this sense of meaning with her dialogue, some of the most powerful moments of the film come from her scenes with Clooney, there is this blend of independence, anger and resentment that builds up due to the cost of Kelly’s consuming career. She remembers the loss of family time and how it affected her, it’s these devastating moments that really help build the film. 

Billy Crudup plays Timothy a former classmate of Kelly’s who is an actor that did not make it big, Crudup’s biggest comes from inside a restaurant where he has this monologue of reading food items. That may sound silly which while at first it is, however once Crudup escalates with emotion and vulnerability that’s when the viewer gets pulled in. What Crudup does here is nothing short of excellence, there is so much meaning, hurt and vulnerability in his voice that you really start to feel for Timothy as a character. How he is able to turn such a simple task such as reading off a food menu into something so devastating is truly remarkable. 

The writing is solid here, while there are definitely some hiccups (especially during the first act) the film does eventually find its ground and hits the viewer with plenty of strong moments that display greatness. The whole theme of reflecting on your past choices and your relationships is truly a powerful one, something a lot of people have done and will continue to do. While the writing absolutely could have been a bit stronger with some of the exploration, I do think with what was given here was strong enough to push the film to the finish line.

Overall Jay Kelly is a solid film that does have some pacing and writing issues at times. However due to the performances and direction, this film works well enough to give this one a go! 

Jay Kelly is available on Netflix 

7/10 B

Most Anticipated Films Of December 2025 + What’s left for this year.

Well here we are the final stretch of 2025, time flew by for sure and it’s honestly been a pretty strong year for film. It does seem like we are wrapping things up well since this month looks great!!

Very quickly, I’ve already seen No Other Choice it’s a fantastic film that I highly recommend going to see when it releases on Christmas.

Anyways what’s left for this year? I have a handful of reviews left to write which include

28 Years Later, Sorry Baby, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, Frankenstein, Predator: Badlands, Christy, Bugonia, Die My Love, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Train Dreams. These reviews plus some new releases will make up of this month (I’m hoping to get these ones done by the end of next week). So keep an eye out!

Let’s get to the list

11. Man Finds Tape – Out Today (VOD)

10. Jay Kelly – Out Today (Netflix)

9. The Housemaid – December 19th (Theaters)

8. 100 Nights Of Hero – Out Today (Theaters)

7. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – December 12th (Netflix)

6. The Voice Of Hind Rajab – December 17th (Theaters)

5. Avatar: Fire And Ash – December 19th (Theaters)

4. Resurrection – December 12th (Theaters)

3. Hamnet – Out Today (Theaters)

2. Marty Supreme – December 25th (Theaters)

1. The Testament Of Ann Lee – December 25th (Theaters)

The Long Walk (2025) Film Review

Teens participate in a gruelling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or be shot by a member of their military escort.

The Long Walk is directed by Francis Lawrence director of Constantine (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Water For Elephants (2011), Red Sparrow (2018), Slumberland (2022) and The Hunger Games franchise (2012-Present.)

The Long Walk was a huge surprise, while yes Francis Lawrence has shown that he’s a great director. Making a whole film about the characters constantly walking and never stopping seemed like a bit of a challenge (which hey that’s always a good thing), due to the film’s excellent cast, beautifully done direction and really meaningful moments. The Long Walk ends up being one of this year’s best. 

The main praise you hear when this film is talked about is how excellent both the performances of Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson really are and that is very well deserved. The two give the best duo performance of the year, from the moment their character’s Ray (played by Hoffman) and Pete (played by Jonsson) interact the film focuses on these two’s conversations, the people around them and their stories. The two deliver compelling, nuanced and actually quite astonishing performances that really leave viewer stunned and heartbroken. Jonsson serves as the film’s emotional core, he gives such a heartbreaking performance that especially works during the film’s final moments. Hoffman gives a vulnerable yet powerful performance that sticks with the viewer. 

The supporting cast are just as fantastic, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot and Charlie Plummer in particular. The three give their characters depth that would otherwise be absent from the film, sure they might not be given as much as Hoffman or Jonsson but they are still participating in the story and interact with Ray and Pete. There is story arcs here with these characters that are truly compelling and it helps that the performances themselves are all fantastic, each of them bring this natural energy to the mix of the film that completely brings the viewer into the experience. 

The writing is incredibly well done, the natural dialogue is so well done here. As we learn about Ray, Pete and the others backstories we really get to see so much depth in them, the film’s atmosphere has this bleakness but at the same time this beautiful humanist feel. There are glimpses of hope in the dialogue that everything can change, which I might be a bit biased here but is a sort of theme I have always loved. The theme of wanting the future to change and seeing a path forward is so well executed here and brings you to tears. Ray, Pete and the rest of the characters just talking about why they are here, what they are going to do after all of this is truly devastating. 

The film’s death scenes are all the more disturbing given the film’s story and how much we grow attached to these characters. These are not just random death scenes, these are scenes where the stakes feel incredibly real. It’s showing that the Major (played by Mark Hamill) and his men are not playing around, there is danger at every corner since if you stop walking and the count goes down to zero you die. It’s filled to the brim with thrilling atmosphere that all of the characters must go through. Which ultimately leads to the film’s brutality in its death scenes, the kills are nothing incredibly flashy but the film does not need that at all. It gets the point across with simple gunshots, we see the fear in the characters eyes and body language. 

The film’s final moments brings this sense of hope, the journey we went on was bleak and seemed like there was no path to a better future. However the film does such a beautiful and emotional job of showing there is a chance for change, it’s an absolute beautiful way to end this tense ride. 

Overall The Long Walk is very well acted, written and directed. It’s an atmospheric ride that has very beautiful human moments. The performances from Hoffman and Jonsson are some of the absolute best of the year. 

The Long Walk is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

Wicked: For Good (2025) Film Review

Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she’ll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: For Good is directed by Jon M. Chu director of Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), Step Up 3D (2010), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), In The Heights (2021), Wicked (2024) and a few others. The film serves as a sequel to Wicked (2024) and adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical. 

If you ask almost anyone who has seen the stage musical of Wicked what they think of it, a very common criticism you will hear is that the second act is much weaker compared to the first. That very much shows with Wicked: For Good although I will say the film still for the most part lands, there are some very unfortunate downgrades. But the positives are enough to get the film to the finish line. 

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande continue to be the best parts, Erivo impresses with her cover of “No Good Deed” to the point where it can be argued that she tops the original. The power in her voice is striking and much of what was said about her performance as Elphaba from part one can be applied here, even with the songs that are not as great as the ones in the previous part she’s still able to leave an impact on the viewer with her powerhouse voice and performance. Ervio especially impresses during the film’s second half, the scene with “For Good” is powerful, emotional and absolutely beautiful. Her and Grande’s voice mesh incredibly well together and the viewer can just feel the chemistry through the screen. Erivo as Elphaba will be remembered for an incredibly long time and that’s all due to just how well Erivo portrayed this iconic character. 

Similarly, Ariana Grande hits it out of the park. Her performance once again captures the spirit of Glinda and even adds her own flavor into the character, at this point she’s more than proved herself as a capable actress. Her singing is excellent and delivers such a beautiful performance with “For Good” and the original song “Girl In The Bubble”. Like I said about Erivo, even when some of the songs are on the weaker side. Grande is able to make them work and bring many beautiful moments just from her personality, acting and singing. Grande’s take on Glinda is beautifully done and again much like Erivo will be remembered for years to come. 

The supporting cast is pretty solid here. Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater get a few strong moments, Bailey sings “As Long As You’re Mine” beautifully with Cynthia Erivo. Ethan Slater does a surprisingly and somewhat intimidatingly good job with “March Of The Witch Hunters” you can here the anger and striking nature in his voice, combine that with the citizens chanting as well as the atmosphere and you have quite honestly one of the stand out moments of the film. 

The main thing holding Wicked: For Good back is the first half of the film, while it’s not exactly something I would call bad. The songs are mixed bag with every “No Place Like Home” that is quite great, you also get a “The Wicked Witch Of The East” which isn’t necessarily bad just not particularly memorable. The film also does take a bit to get going, it’s nice to see what all of the characters are up to since the last film. However this goes on for a bit too long, there is also some plot points that do feel a bit rushed and could have used more exploration. 

With that being said, the film’s second half pushes the film forward and is able to stick the landing. That’s when you get to the real meat of the film, the emotional moments that strike the heart and some genuinely raw scenes. The second half does such a fantastic job of wrapping the story up in this powerhouse bow, Erivo and Grande really do strike the final moments with “For Good” masterfully. There are tons of tearjerking moments that really bring you along for the climax of the story. 

Overall Wicked: For Good is definitely weaker than the previous film, but it’s not a bad film. It hits the right notes and brings this story into a satisfying conclusion that is genuinely beautiful. 

Wicked: For Good is currently in theaters.

8/10 B+

Eternity (2025) Film Review

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with, and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

Eternity is directed by David Freyne director of The Cured (2017) and Dating Amber (2020). 

Eternity is one of those rare modern romantic comedies that strikes that sweet spot when it comes to making both its romance and comedy work so incredibly well with one another. While it is a bit on the predictable side and may have some extra padding here and there. The film works wonderfully due to its fun cast, creativity and the dreamlike atmosphere and filming. 

Each of the performances are quite excellent and bring something to the table. Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner all bring their own special charm to the film. Olsen going back and forth of who she wants to spend eternity with feels very real and at times even gets the viewer to participate by making decisions with her. It helps that Olsen in general is a fantastic actress and here is no exception, Teller and Turner are both very fun here and the constant back and forth they have with each other is always entertaining. Their chemistry with Olsen is beautiful and with Olsen delivering a lot of the emotional moments, Teller and Turner do a great job of supporting said moments. 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early are also quite great, they are definitely the film’s comedic weapons but serve that role perfectly. Randolph is a stand out among the cast, she steals each and every single scene she’s in as well as bringing the fun and creative energy to the atmosphere whenever possible. Randolph has an undeniable amount of charm here that really blends well with the rest of the cast, her moments with Miles Teller are some of the film’s absolute best. 

I have always been interested in films that have different ideas of what happens after life and Eternity is no exception. In fact this is by far one of the most interesting ideas in quite a while, the writing brings this creative, heartfelt and humorous feel to the film that truly captures its playful mindset. There’s this realness to the dialogue and even some strong character moments, the whole memory archive idea leads to some genuinely beautiful scenes that help build Larry, Joan and Luke as characters. There is the perfect balance of comedy and romance, they don’t outweigh one another to a degree where it becomes distracting. 

The cinematography from Ruairí O’Brien is done in this dreamlike state that perfectly captures what you would imagine what the afterlife would look and feel like if it was a film itself. The atmosphere shines perfectly with its soft yet beautiful presence, there is times where the atmosphere almost feels like it’s trying to give you a big warm hug and you can’t help but accept it. There’s so much attention to detail with the different eternities or “worlds” that we see, the use of color and light is always quite beautiful to explore with your eyes. 

Overall Eternity is a beautifully done film that really shines through, it might be simple at times and as I said it can feel like it’s padding a bit. However the positives absolutely shine and are truly a blast. 

Eternity is currently in theaters.

8/10 B+

The Perfect Neighbor (2025) Film Review

A seemingly minor neighbourhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws.

The Perfect Neighbor is directed by Geeta Gandnhir who previously directed I Am Evidence (2017), Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (2022) and a few others. This documentary is about the killing of Ajike Owens which happened on June 2, 2023 by Susan Louise Lorincz in Ocala, Florida. 

The Perfect Neighbor is a very different documentary, some might quickly write this off as another true crime documentary. However what makes this one stand out is simply the way Gandnhir approaches it, a majority of the documentary is police body-cam footage it’s almost like it was done in this found footage like style. Except what you are seeing is incredibly real, gut wrenching and even at times disturbing. 

The way the footage is put together is quite an accomplishment on its own, the editing from Viridiana Lieberman is brilliant and captures the absolute sadness of this crime. Owens was loved by her neighborhood and her children, just seeing all of their reactions to her being murdered is devastating on its own. The footage displays all of this in great detail and as the documentary leads up to Owens’s murder we see Lorincz’s behavior get more and more unhinged. 

Lorincz called the cops on the neighborhood children (including Owens’s kids) for playing outside, claiming “they can’t be over there” when in reality they could. Lorincz used racial slurs at them, threw objects at them, she even said “This isn’t the Underground Railroad slave” the racism got progressively worse and worse as time went on. Each and every time that Lorincz called the cops, the cops would side with the kids and parents. Lorincz kept insisting that she was a victim but then at the same time continued to escalate her behavior. 

One particular moment during this documentary that stood out was when one of Owens’s young sons was asked if he was hurt and after he is informed of his mother’s death, his response was “No, but my heart is broken.” To hear and see this in body-cam footage is heart shattering, no child should ever have to say these words. It’s something that just sticks with you, the reality is now that Owens’s children will grow up without a mother and be forever scarred by their mother’s murder. It’s an incredibly devastating moment that really does sum up the whole documentary. 

Overall The Perfect Neighbor is a fantastic documentary that is put together incredibly well. There is not much more to say here as the documentary’s footage really does speak for itself. It’s a powerful one that I highly recommend. 

The Perfect Neighbor is available on Netflix. 

9/10 A

Rental Family (2025) Film Review

Struggling to find purpose, an American actor lands an unusual gig with a Japanese agency to play stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he soon rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

Rental Family is directed by Hikari director of Tsuyako (2011), A Better Tomorrow (2013), Where We Begin (2015) and 37 Seconds (2019). 

Rental Family is the very definition of a crowd pleaser, at times that does hold the film back from going deeper with its themes. However there is no denying on how charming the whole package really is, the performances are excellent, the emotional beats are strong and the humor is genuinely funny at times. 

Brendan Fraser fits like a glove with his performance as Phillip, he provides this mixture of bumbling and kindhearted vulnerability that is constantly shown throughout the film. His conversations with the rest of the cast always has something beautiful and meaningful within them, whether it be smaller moments or bigger ones. Fraser’s body language and manner of speaking is truly beautiful that pains such an honest picture that is genuinely beautiful. 

The supporting cast particularly Mari Yamamoto and Akira Emoto are very strong here. Yamamoto has some great scenes with Fraser, I do wish there was a bit more exploration with her character Aiko. We do get a bit around the halfway point of the film and for what it is there is some solid character work. Emoto’s performance gives us plenty of hilarious, beautiful and genuinely heartbreaking moments. Emoto’s character Kikuo Hasegawa has a character arc that is on the predictable side of things, but it ultimately still works given the context of Phillip and Kikuo’s conversations they had with one another. These moments in particular are some of the film’s strongest due to just how natural and caring the conversations really feel. 

The writing is solid, the scenes with Phillip and Mia (played by Shannon Mahina Gorman) having this father and daughter bond are genuinely beautiful and gut wrenching at the same time. While they are super sweet underneath it all is an unfortunate lie, not done in a malicious way. Her mother Hitomi (played by Shino Shinozaki) felt Mia needed a father figure, which is ultimately devastating since Mia believes her father has truly come back. The Rental Family business brings happiness yet can also bring sadness this being a prime example. There are moments where it admittedly does feel like we are missing some exploration with Hitomi and the bond between Phillip and Mia. However the film explores just enough to make these scenes worth it in the end. 

The film almost has this side quest like feel with a lot of the many people Phillip means, this is not particularly a bad thing as the film does a good job of telling these stories. Even if the focus needed a bit more power to it, there truly is some genuine moments in all of them that make the stories simple yet beautiful at the same time. 

Overall Rental Family is a satisfying little film that you can’t help but leave with a smile on your face, it might be a bit too much of a crowd pleaser for some. However the film’s earnestness and kind nature manages to make this one work. 

Rental Family is currently in theaters. 

8/10 B+

Caught Stealing (2025) Film Review

When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.

Caught Stealing is directed by Darren Aronofsky director of Pi (1998), Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), Noah (2014), Mother! (2017) and The Whale (2022). 

Darren Aronofsky has always been one of my favorite filmmakers, his ability to bring out transformative or flat out incredible performances from a lot of actors is just fascinating. While I’m always going to prefer Aronofsky’s more dramatic work, It’s always nice to see Aronofsky have a lot of fun and go for something completely different here. 

Austin Butler is oozing with charisma and almost immediately captures the atmosphere that the world of the film demands. Every single moment you feel this gravitational pull towards his character Henry “Hank” Thompson and the world around him. Butler’s performance only gets more and more electrifying as the film goes on especially with the film’s tone that quickly becomes more brutal and darker. Butler gives one of the best performances of the year, this is the type of performance of what makes an actor so interesting especially sensing the confidence within the performance. 

The supporting performances are just as fantastic, Zoë Kravitz’s chemistry with Butler is captivating and even if her part is not as massive, the time she does have she uses well and brings this passionate bond the film shows through Butler and Kravitz’s chemistry. Matt Smith and Regina King are both fantastic here as well, both capture the energy and atmosphere of their respective roles. Smith being more chaotic and King bringing her strength and pedigree. Tonic the cat is also a fun addition to the film who does a fantastic job with the film’s more comedic moments. 

The writing is atmospheric, thrilling and genuinely funny at times. It’s a nice balance between the three, none of which completely overwhelm one another. The writing has moments of brutality which is where the depth for these characters comes from, we explore a bit about them. Even if at times there is a bit of surface level information, what we do learn is admittedly fascinating which keeps the viewer in for the ride. The comedic elements are on the black comedy side of things, but are effectively used sparingly and do not take away from the more dramatic ones. 

Aronofsky does a fascinating job of capturing this 1990s New York landscape, he invests a ton of energy in creating this beautiful feel that you can’t help but look around. This is definitely one of Aronofsky’s bigger in scale films, perhaps his biggest since Noah (2014). But unlike Noah (2014) where it felt very overwhelming and a giant mess in general, Caught Stealing is a lot more focused and has a lot more interesting elements happening on screen. You have the chaotic nature of the cast and their characters, the brutality of the film, the film’s black comedy and the strong cinematography from Matthew Libatique. 

Overall Caught Stealing is such a chaotic and fun ride from beginning to end, that Aronofsky does such a fascinating job of capturing the crazed experience. 

Caught Stealing is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

Lurker (2025) Film Review

A retail employee infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the verge of stardom. As he gets closer to the budding music star, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.

Lurker is directed by Alex Russell which is his directorial debut. 

Lurker is a very impressive directorial debut that goes for this realistic and quite uncomfortable look at fan culture and the effects of obsession and celebrity worship. The performances, atmosphere and Russell’s direction truly make the whole package work. 

Théodore Pellrin and Archie Madekwe give some of the best performances of the year, Pellrin plays Matthew someone who is obsessed with wanting to belong and eventually does push that way too far, it’s done in this very subtle and realistic way. Some people might write this off as a “stalker film like performance” but what Lurker goes for here is quite different, Matthew gets into Oliver’s (played by Archie Madekwe) life easily by acting useful and harmless. It’s a natural way that just about anyone would fall for, how Pellrin portrays these actions and mindsets is truly fascinating to the point where it’s almost scary. 

Archie Madekwe does a fantastic job as Oliver, not only does he do a fantastic job of illustrating the casual control that a celebrity wields. But he also does an excellent job when it comes to having this balance of charisma and detachment, we see this more and more as the film goes on with Oliver realizing that Matthew really needs to be cut off from him, which he does about as well as he really can considering the situation he is in. 

The dynamic between the two is what keeps the film moving along, we see they start off as great friends with Matthew becoming more and more obsessive with Oliver. We can see the quick change in their friendship with it slowly but surely going downhill and getting more and more uncomfortable, all of this is captured quite rawly through the performances of Pellrin and Madekwe. It’s uncomfortable yet a fascinating look at how being parasocial can really start to affect your real life bonds a behavior outside the internet. 

The supporting cast are great here as well, particularly Havana Rose Liu who may not get the most amount of screen time. But she does have memorable scenes that are quite great and captures the atmosphere of the film decently well. Her and Zack Fox both effectively reflect the audience’s reactions to Matthew’s obsessive behavior. 

The writing is fantastic, as mentioned before the film is done in this quite realistic style and the writing really reflects that. Whether it be some of the more explosive moments that the film builds up to, or some of the more quiet and subtle moments that remain thrilling throughout the film. There is always something here to bring in the viewer slowly but surely, the manipulative language that Matthew displays is scary and captures a lot of what makes this sort of behavior so scary in the first place. 

The direction from Alex Russell is incredibly confident and paints this picture of a deeply uncomfortable dive into modern day obsession, while some plot points do go where you expect them to. It’s not enough to take away from Lurker as a film, this sense of belonging is captured so well yet ultimately transformers into something much much darker and unhinged. How Russell is able to accomplish this in a much quieter way is truly fascinating. 

Overall Lurker is an excellent film that explores parasocial relationships and celebrity worship in this honest and uncomfortable way. It’s incredibly well acted, written and directed, one of the most underrated films of the year. 

Lurker is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

East Of Wall (2025) Film Review

A rebellious South Dakotan rancher makes hard decisions related to her fractured family, financial uncertainty and unresolved grief, all while providing refuge for a group of wayward neighbourhood teens.

East Of Wall is directed by Kate Beecroft which is her directorial debut. 

Authentic would be the best word to describe East Of Wall, not only does it take on a very documentary like approach. But the film based on the lead actress Tabatha Zimiga’s real life, it’s a docufiction film done at its absolutely best. 

The performances feel incredibly raw, Tabatha Zimiga gives her debut performance and does such a beautiful job. Almost immediately you connect with her story simply due to how well the film establishes her and her story very early on, Porshia Zimga similarly plays herself and does just as an incredible job. With a cast that is filled with mostly nonprofessionals we really get to see and feel the impact of Zimiga’s story and the performances here feel that much more authentic. While yes Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle are here (who also do a great job) that does not take away from the authenticity of the film. They mix well with the rest of the cast and fit into the story being told. 

Almost immediately you get Chloe Zhao’s The Rider (2018) vibes from the film and in a good way. Much like that film, we get to see the daily lives of Tabatha and her daughter Porshia in this authentic way that shows them living their lives on screen. It’s like we are just watching them for a distance and seeing what unfolds, we get some beautiful cinematography from Austin Shelton who captures the beauty of South Dakota particularly the Badlands a forgotten beauty (that we do not see much in film.) 

The writing is phenomenal, Kate Beecroft also wrote the script and apparently lived 3 years with Tabatha and her family. That definitely shows throughout the film, you can feel this personal power that is poured into the script as the film goes on, the emotional moments hit one hundred times harder than they normally would. The quiet moments feel more connective, scenes of Tabatha and her family just talking and bonding are beautiful. There is much beautiful character work here as well as acting talent. 

Overall East Of Wall is straightforward yet is the very definition of authentic, it’s a beautifully told story that might take a bit to get going. But it is absolutely worth experiencing. 

East Of Wall is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A