As of yesterday, the 25th Tribeca Festival came to a close, and with it, some amazing films premiered that I was lucky enough to see throughout the course of the festival.
Out of the 19 films I saw at the festival, these are simply the narrative features that I connected with the most. There are dozens of other films and documentaries that are exciting, revolutionary, and absolutely deserved of your time. Think of these as my personal greatest hits of my time at the festival, and the films I recommend the most.
Honorable Mentions
I have three honorable mentions to throw out quickly, with the first being Taxi Driver. It’s an unimpeachable classic and revolutionary piece of cinema. The reason I only list it here is because it obviously isn’t a new film, and I want to highlight things that are brand new.
They Fight is a really special film that tells the true story of a man recently released from prison facing his demons and finding his purpose as a youth boxing coach. The director Sheldon Candis was an absolute delight to see speak, and he has such a great outlook on cinema as a form. Using film as a way to uplift and inspire instead of perpetuate tragedy was a special and unique outlook that I really really appreciate. There’s also some of the best child acting I’ve seen recently in a film, with a pair of performances that are so full of life and truth. They Fight is a special and triumphant film that you’ll be able to see soon on July 17th on Hulu.
Mutter: The Diary of a Mother is a bleak and heavy film exploring the pains of motherhood through an inventive and squirm-inducing horror narrative that hit me pretty hard. The Turkish film features an incredibly powerful leading performance from actress Hazar Ergüçlü that reaches so many intense peaks, as well as somber and tragic lows that really captivated me. Mutter is a movie that utilizes the incredibly powerful idea of the horror coming from the ordinary, not the supernatural. The film exists in an incredibly bleak and realistic world that highlights societal evils that we deal with every day.
1. Ponderosa
Ponderosa is so awesome.
Rob Rice’s new film is a bizarre, melancholic, hilarious meditation on the generational relationship we find ourselves in in this country, as well as the cultural state of the nation at large. The movie stars Jack Dylan Grazer as Zeke, a disillusioned and apathetic teenager who after his mother loses her job at the local Ponderosa buffet finds himself humoring George, portrayed by Bill Camp, who is a wealthy real estate developer who is also obsessed with becoming Zeke’s father.
Every single performance in this movie is comedic genius and profound tragedy all wrapped into one. Set against the backdrop of a crushing suburbia complete with chain restaurants, miles of the same house, and the steady sound of the highway, the film gets to the heart of where America is sitting culturally, and captures a sense of alienation that I think a lot of people can relate to.
Oftentimes surreal and unexplainable, Ponderosa occupies an uncomfortable and anxious mood for most of its runtime, with Zeke consistently being assaulted with a forced companionship from George, and a sorrowful monotony from his mother, Sandra, played by Alexis Bledel. The film reminded me a lot of David Lynch’s work in the ways it which it portrayed Americana through abstract sequences and emotions as opposed to straightforward statements.
Ponderosa is deeply sad, scary and so so funny. Heightening the cultural absurdity of this nation to a hyperbolic boiling point, the film is an incredible ride that leads you to the answers with a map that makes no sense whatsoever.
2. Via Negativa
Photo by Cindy Ord on Getty Images
Via Negativa is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, written by Daniel Hornsby. Being a road movie, I was already predisposed to love this, as I find myself so enamored with a journey that is constantly moving. The story follows Father Dan (played by Young Mazino), a disillusioned priest who is recently removed from his duties, and decides to embark across the country with a gun and an injured coyote he accidentally hit with his car.
The film is a captivating, thoughtful journey across the American Midwest that asks questions of faith, purpose, and identity. Set against the backdrop of the delightful Americana of roadside attractions and beat up old diners, we follow Dan as each stop on his drive further tests and interrogates the life he has built for himself as well as the construction of the church and the faith he has in it.
Director Hannah Peterson is so good at utilizing stillness throughout the film. She allows Mazino’s performance to be this quiet, textural, and internal thing that allows the audience to feel as if they’re going on this journey as well. The rest of the performances are stellar as well, including the coyote, whose name is escaping me at this moment.
Via Negativa is a somber, sensitive, and powerful meditation on faith and forgiveness that transforms and strikes the audience with every step on its idiosyncratic road trip towards an answer we have yet to find.
3. The Long Haul
Photo by Arturo Holmes on Getty Images
David Drake’s directorial debut about a long haul trucker and the ghosts of her tragic past is a stunning and somber look at the weight we carry and the toll that can take on a person. From the opening moments of the film I was won over, with the opening credit sequence playing over this wonderful static shot that’s soundtracked by “Wichita Lineman,” a phenomenal phenomenal song that immediately sets the tone.
The two words that I have to describe this film are Margo Martindale. Her performance in this is one of my favorites of the whole year. It is easily one of the realest performances I have ever seen. Despite living nowhere near the American west, or interacting with long distance truckers, I feel like I have met her before. She radiates a warmth, a sadness, and an honesty that is so remarkable. It’s a phenomenal performance.
Drake is extremely assured as a first time director as well, with every performance in this film being extremely truthful as well. I especially love Cole Sprouse as this complete jerk. He’s a great parallel to Martindale’s character CJ.
I absolutely love the visuals as well. There’s such a warm softness to every single frame of the film. The way the western landscapes are photographed throughout are just so captivating. Shot like a postcard, and written with the sadness you find on the other side, The Long Haul is a beautifully human experience that everyone will connect with.
4. The Leader
Photo by Dia Dipasupil on Getty Images
Last and absolutely, absolutely not least, is The Leader.
I’ll be brief as a lot of my thoughts are written here, but I was absolutely blown away by this film. Michael J. Gallagher handles a massive, complicated story of tragedy, indoctrination, belonging, and faith in his exploration of the Heaven’s Gate cult.
Every aspect from the performances, the cinematography, the editing, and the music is so impactful and harrowing. I found myself feeling sick by the end because it so effectively connected with me. The film respects its subjects and its audience by creating an emotional portrait into a doomed group of people and the conditions that brought them together. The knife of reality is razor sharp here, and it cut through me from start to finish.
I had a wonderful experience at the 25th Tribeca Festival, and I hope you all enjoy the movies as much as I did. There’s a special future in the industry, and all of these films represent a movement coming forward that I am every excited for.
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