Sacramento (2025) premiered on the 2024 Tribeca Pageant and met with a usually good reception. Because the movie traveled throughout the pageant circuit, so did its characters traversing by means of California. This easy-going American highway comedy movie is directed by Michael Angarano, who wrote the screenplay with Chris Smith.
The story begins when Rickey (Angarano), an brisk and free-spirited younger man with a Peter Pan advanced, convinces his long-time good friend Glenn (Michael Cera) to pause his blissful home life and embark on an impromptu highway journey throughout California. Though they lead very completely different lives, they’ve much more in frequent than they assume.
With the devastating California wildfires not removed from reminiscence, Sacramento (2025) supplies a snapshot of the guts and capital of California by means of its beautiful panorama photographs of iconic spots. Filming places included the historic Gunther’s Ice Cream Retailer, thirty fifth Avenue, Outdated Sacramento and the R Avenue Hall.
More stability might have made this highway journey worthy of remembering.
This can be a rad love letter to town and the Golden State, however it might’ve used barely extra b-roll of iconic Sacramento or California dives and gems. A good highway journey film tends to strike a stability of highlighting the places the characters go to versus the story of the journey itself. At finest, Sacramento (2025) invests about 20% in exhibiting the places and 80% in specializing in the characters. Angarano and Smith primarily spotlight must-see spots at and between Los Angeles and Sacramento to some satisfying illustration.
Sacramento (2025) nails the full-circle highway journey vibes, having Rickey’s automotive from his teenage years bridge the hole between him and his reunited finest good friend. Usually, shared core recollections are created in individuals’s first automotive, like wild rides with mates or a primary kiss. This movie performs on that nostalgia.
The film falls aside with the general chemistry of the principle 4 characters. Whereas that is geared in the direction of a males’s highway journey, particularly with Rickey being single, Rosie (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t have a lot to do. The chemistry between Cera and Stewart feels nearly non-existent. Making an allowance for the back-and-forth sarcasm, their dialogue collectively isn’t near being plausible that they’re a pair.
Cera and Stewart are robust actors, however their on-screen roles as a pair aren’t convincing. The perfect components that pressure them to care about one another is how a lot Glenn makes an attempt to maintain calling Rosie at nearly each attainable alternative he can. One other trace of kindness and heartwarming moments seems when Rosie cradles him when he’s getting ready to a panic assault. Cera and Stewart save the standard of their performances with these small particulars. More moments like this from starting to finish might’ve bolstered the believability of their on-screen relationship.
Michael Cera and Kristen Stewart are a mismatched pairing in Sacramento (2025).
For Angarano and Maya Erskine (Tallie), their on-screen back-and-forth is charming. Every time they’re monologuing, or the digital camera captures their facial reactions, they each perceive the best way to convey out full, uncooked performances. Placing apart the actors being married to one another in actual life, they closely carry Sacramento. Even the chemistry between Cera and Angarano is reliant on Angarano, with Cera simply going alongside for the trip. Cera’s finest performing talents come out when he goes full-tilt loopy, however it’s too little, too late.
Perhaps the purpose is that Glenn and Rosie are a easy, unenthusiastic couple. Nevertheless, there are higher methods to painting grounded, straight-laced characters. For instance, most not too long ago in A Actual Ache, Jesse Eisenberg expertly performs the accountable, quiet position properly to let Kieran Culkin shine together with his bombastic, frenetic performing expertise. To a sure extent, Cera and Angarano promote the actual fact they’re estranged mates, however the payoff on the finish isn’t deserved.
Sacramento (2025) is a pleasing homage to California and the Sacramento space that’s overshadowed by a mismatch of performing pairs. Wanting previous the unlucky miscasting of Cera and Stewart for his or her roles, the movie’s themes are robust, revolving round grief, parenthood, and friendship. Sadly, the awkward line reads distract from the teachings of the film.
Sacramento (2025) releases in theaters April 11, 2025.
Sacramento (2025)
6/10
TL:DR
Sacramento (2025) is a pleasing homage to California and the Sacramento space that’s overshadowed by a mismatch of performing pairs.
