Coming-of-age films have always been a hallmark of filmmaking, from the beloved movies of John Hughes to the modern classics like Lady Bird and The Edge of Seventeen. Writer-director Megan Park’s sophomore feature My Old Ass brings a new twist to the genre. Instead of being a period piece, complete with nostalgic needle drops and the filmmaker’s own upbringing, Park sets her film squarely in the present day with her heroine interacting with her future self.
Starring: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LeBouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Kathryn Hunter
Grade: D+
Make no doubt about it, Francis Ford Coppola is a director who has more than earned his reputation as a master of film. From The Godfather and Part2 to Apocalypse Now, he has made some of the most widely celebrated and praised movies of all time. Although unlike some of his compatriots such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, he has had his fair share of fumbles.
How far would you go to preserve a favorite childhood memory? In ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, director Arthur Bradford chronicles the struggles to preserve a beloved Colorado landmark, no matter how fraught the process may be. Though the documentary is as slight as you might expect when dealing with such subject matter, it gets by thanks to its main characters, the titular Denver-based Mexican restaurant, and its new owners, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Starring: Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Jay O. Sanders, Jovan Adepo
Grade: A-
Death often brings out the worst in people, and not just from the dying. Old grudges are brought back to the fore, and people tend to reveal themselves and their true intentions when a loved one is on the verge of crossing over. His Three Daughters takes this idea, and writer-director Azazel Jacobs runs with it to create a deeply empathetic portrait of longstanding trauma, resentment, love, and sisterhood. It’s the kind of film which presents as simple in concept but has many moving things to say, featuring characters who feel real and imperfect because of the grounded performances from the lead actresses.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Jonathan Pryce, Hugo Weaving
Six episode season, six episodes watched for review
Grade: B+
On the surface, Slow Horses doesn’t do anything radically different than any television show that was on the air 10 years ago. This shouldn’t make AppleTV+’s spy series sound outdated or old-fashioned; on the contrary – it’s a refreshingly modern and reliable adaptation of Mick Herron’s series of novels that makes its mark in the spy thriller genre. But in an age where new seasons of TV shows can take 2 or 3 years between releases, Slow Horses has churned out 4 solid seasons – the latest of which releases its season premiere of the 6 episode season today – in just 2 years.
The 97th Academy Awards will be presented on March 2, 2025. Here are our ranked predictions for who will be nominated and which films will win. Check back in, as the list will be updated often.
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly De Leon, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein
Grade: B-
There’s a great deal of comedy to be found in the very idea of organized religion. Between the Temples focuses on one man’s crisis of Jewish faith and how he unintentionally passes it on to others, often leading to comically obtuse situations. Director and co-writer Nathan Silver takes a lo-fi, Christopher Guest-ian approach to the film, with quick banter, and improv heavy dialogue to mixed results. It’s a film which hinges on the strengths of its leads, Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane but, at nearly two hours long, it quickly runs out of steam to sustain itself to the end.
Starring: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Paul Walter Hauser, Jack Harlow
Grade: C
Just as Paul Thomas Anderson’s films will forever be tied to the San Fernando Valley, and just as Martin Scorsese’s films will forever be tied to Queens, New York, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck will never be able to shake their association with the city of Boston. In theory, it makes perfect sense to pair them together in Doug Liman’s Beantown-based buddy-crime action-comedy film The Instigators – though perhaps there should have been a better reason for them to be with one another. The duo get put through the paces in a by-the-numbers caper that has enough fun, but should have been much more fun than the end result.
Break the Game shows a brutally honest first-person portrayal of Generation Alpha’s relationship to the internet, but it doesn’t have much new to say on the subject. It’s the kind of documentary that feels almost immune from criticism because of its deeply human observations, and what it says about the youth’s sense of community and belonging. Still, the film’s thesis on this matter essentially boils down to “internet equals good and bad”, and one can’t help but wish it was more nuanced than that.
Filmmakers have tackled the coming of age genre through countless ways and methods over the years, which makes the Coming of Age block at Indy Shorts one of the more enticing options available. Caught on Tape, written and directed by Chris Alan Evans and Alexander Jeffery, plays into the inherent awkwardness faced by teenage boys in the VHS era. When Finn first learns about the glories of pornography, he hatches a scheme to find his father’s collection. There’s a number of laughs and genuine truths to be found, in a film all about staying true to yourself during a time when everyone seems to tell you how the world works.
Ebb & Flow, written and directed by Nay Tabbara, takes a decidedly more dramatic and feminine approach, setting one young girl’s desires against the turmoil in Beirut. The threat of violence, referenced frequently throughout the film, works nicely as a metaphor as kids are forced to grow up more quickly than they should be. Of course, Loulwa and her friend are more concerned with sneaking away to meet up with a few boys on the beach, as she pines for her first kiss. Even if you don’t live in a warzone, there’s something universal about the film, where something like a teenage crush can feel like the end of the world at times.
Another non-English entry brimming with heart, Tomorrow, looks at the bonds of brothers as they come to terms with their differences. One younger brother prepares to go to school while his older brother, who has Down Syndrome, is left behind. The film is sparse in its plot, but it’s full of touching details that feel genuine, and the young performers are simply lovely, as if director Estefania Ortiz simply observed the actors in their natural habitats.
Easily the most comedic of the block is We Met at Camp, from MCPlaschke, about a group of friends as they obsess over their various summer camp crushes. Plaschke infuses the film with plenty of delightful period details (it takes place in 2004) that feel inherently specific, but with a genuinely queer sensibility. Even if you haven’t had a summer camp crush, there’s something relatable for everyone in the film if you’ve ever had an unattainable crush at a young age. Silly, smart, and heart-warming, We Met at Camp is a gem of the festival.
Finally, Essex Girls speaks to another universal experience of young adulthood. That is, finding the right social circle where you truly belong. Yero Timi-Biu’s film follows Bisola, a young Black girl who finds solidarity with another group of Black friends from a different school, since she is the only Black girl in her grade currently. Think of it as a live-action British version of Inside Out 2, where raging hormones and any number of intangibles lead to questioning loyalty between long-standing friends and the new, cool kids. Timi-Biu gives the film a real sense of care from the film’s opening, even when it veers into predictable character and story beats.
The Coming of Age block will screen at Indy Shorts Film Festival on July 28 at 2:45pm at the Living Room Theaters and in Indianapolis, and virtually through July 28.Buy tickets here.
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