Directed & co-written by Michael Angarano, Sacramento is an upcoming film releasing in theaters April 11. The film stars Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, and Maya Erskine. Following the death of his father, energetic and free-spirited Rickey convinces long-time friend Glenn to go on an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Frustrated by Rickey’s Peter Pan complex, Glenn is encouraged by his pregnant wife Rose to go on the adventure to reconnect. In the worn yellow seats of Glenn’s old college convertible, the two men confront their anxiety-ridden lives, addressing past mistakes and questioning what their futures hold.

I didn’t know much about the film other than the few trailers. I can’t say it piqued my interest, but seeing Michael Cera & Kristen Stewart in a film together grabbed my interest. I am already seeing a majority of the reviews leaning positively, but a quarter of them towards the negative side. Personally, based on the complexity of these characters mixed with comedy and drama, this felt like the rare kind of drama we get nowadays.

Michael Angarano directs, co-writes, and stars in the film as Rickey. If Angarano keeps up the kind of momentum, I will support whatever he does next. Viewers may recognize him from Oppenheimer and This Is Us. He shows that he has a knack of telling human stories that are extremely complex and interesting. Michael Angarano’s character works on the side as a therapist, but when he’s let go, he convinces his best friend Glenn (Cera) to go on a trip to Sacramento. He tells Glenn the trip is to honor his late father. Glenn doesn’t fully buy it as he’s already wanting to not be his friend anymore. As time goes on, you get a better picture as to what’s going on and why he wanted Glenn to come with.

Glenn is on the verge of becoming a dad with Rosie (Stewart). The two have a great dynamic. So much so that Rosie convinces Glenn to go on this trip. While she is due at any time, it’s nice to see a couple who support one another. That’s really refreshing. Like Rickey, Glenn’s life isn’t quite perfect either. He’s also on the verge of being let go, which is more terrifying when he knows he has to support a family. On top of that, he’s wanting to get go of his friendship to move on with his future.

The film has a nice indie tone with an undeniable charm. The color grading gives the film a cool, chill vibe, which is fitting for a road trip drama. The cinematography is also quite impressive as it tracks these characters on their trip. The editing even manages to keep the film consistently engaging, adding so much into an 84-minute film.

When the reveal for the trip is finally revealed, I suppose I understand it, but I don’t quite get it at the same. Rickey seems like a standup guy that I didn’t totally buy the idea that he would bail on his situation. There’s somewhat of an emotional reason behind it and it is a bit too convenient for his reasoning behind why he brought Glenn along.

Adding Kristen Stewart to the mix was a smart idea. She is a talented actress and her chemistry with Cera works. Unfortunately, she’s only really there to help Cera’s character move forward. I would have like to have seen more screentime be given to her, whether that be through a completely separate plotline or going on this trip with the guys.

If she want on the trip with the guys, she could met Maya Erskine’s character. At least that would give her more comfort into becoming a mom. I think there was some more potential there to show how connections can go beyond just a male friendship. Viewers may be disappointed the Stewart & Erskine don’t share much screentime, but I hope Angarano does more for the female characters for whenever he makes his next film.

Overall, Sacramento is a pleasant surprise full of heart between its comedy and drama. Michael Angarano shows promise as a filmmaker while Michael Cera delivers one of his best performances to date. The film shows some potential story wise for its side characters, but it’s still incredibly impressive nonetheless.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)