Tribeca2024: Films at Tribeca Fest Contain Themes of Transitions

Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 12, 2024 - 8:00am

NEW YORK – It’s the middle of the 23rd Tribeca Film Festival and the narrative feature films … with an emphasis on the independent … are in competition. Themes of transition are strong in this year’s line-up, as story tellers have emerged from the pandemic years, and the reflections thereafter.

The 2024 Tribeca Festival, presented by Web3 tech company OKX, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment.

’Adult Best Friends’ at 23rd Tribeca Film Fest
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com

Capsule Reviews, 2024 Tribeca Film Festival

Adult Best Friends At 32 years old, two female best friends are going in different directions … one toward marriage/domesticity and one desiring to keep the familiar party going. Can there friendship survive?

CAPSULE REVIEW: This dramatic confrontation is also achingly funny. The two lead actors, Delaney Buffet (also director) and Katie Corwin co-wrote the screenplay, and have a natural rhythm to their movie relationship. This film is highly relatable, either to persons within that transition age group, or to those of us who have been there and done that. What was notable was how human the characters were, making themselves vulnerable within and around the transitioning relationship. Even Zachary Quinto in a small role gets some laughs and heart.

Boys Go To Jupiter An animated film set in the in the period between Christmas and New Year’s, it follows the adventures of Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett), a teenage gig worker with a rise-and-grind mindset whose quest to make $5,000 is derailed by the appearance of a gelatinous little dude from outer space.

CAPSULE REVIEW: From cartoonist/animator Julian Glander, this unique style and story is notable as much for its distinct character and character voices, giving heart to the modern mendacities of current society, including Billy’s ability to hack into his delivery app and switch currencies to heighten his pay. The side story about an evil hybrid juice company is less subtle, but the interactions between the teen delivery man, his gang, and a space alien that the company wants to capture is fine entertainment, visually compelling and yet another example of the golden age of animation.

Bitterroot How about being a thirtysomething Asian immigrant man who is divorced, jobless and living with his mother … and part of a superstitious Hmong language community in Montana? It’s conflict upon conflict upon transitioning.

CAPSULE REVIEW: This World Premiere from director Vera Brunner-Sung is resonate in that place between the old country tradition and new home calamity. Set in the beautiful and sometimes terrifying wild fire country of Montana, the symbolism is within the setting as the Hmong man is beset with demons and an aging mother, who represents everything he’s trying to escape. A fascinating character study and a dive into the mystery of the forces that are behind the development of who we are.

Brats Remember the infamous “Brat Pack” from the 1980s … the main members being Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson, among others? Well, Andrew McCarthy decided to make a documentary on how that “grouping” affected them.

CAPSULE REVIEW: This film is for everybody who went through the era, for these group of then 20something actors defined so much of their lifetimes. What is remarkable about the doc is that it’s not so much a look back, but a perspective from now older and wiser people on what it all meant. There is some highlighted philosophy from Demi Moore, of all people, and Rob Lowe. Yet it is Andrew McCarthy who most seems to be benefitting, and finding a sense of representative peace. This one took me by surprise, and is a must see for again the transitions. Streaming on HULU beginning Friday, June 14th.

Trailer, “Brats” …