Acidmanis a complicated love story between an eccentric father and his adult daughter who is desperate to rebuild their relationship. Tugging at its viewer’s heartstrings and leaving them in awe as the pieces began to come together, the movie is a mature take on the"dysfunctional family" genre.

Director Alex Lehmann is not new to the movie scene. Previous helming the acclaimed dramasPaddletonandBlue Jay, both in collaboration with his longtime filmmaking partnerMark Duplass, he demonstrates his skill and talent through the movie by intertwining a slow-but-steady and dialogue-heavy script (written by Lehmann and Chris Dowling) with the most gorgeous scenery, captivating camerawork, and an electric chemistry between the two leads, making it impossible to look away from the screen.

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The drama is carried by Dianna Agron andThomas Haden Church, both of whom have already built an impressive movie empire. After being estranged for a decade, Agron’s Maggie decides to go out on a whim and visit her father. Clearly a city girl, she treks out to the middle of nowhere, without any prior arrangements or communication with the older man. Throughout the movie, their disconnect is very present and uncomfortable. Her father, Lloyd, lives a reclusive life with no friends, except a friendly waitress at the local diner and his trustworthy dog. He struggles to handle harassment from the local youths who graffitied “ACIDMAN” across his trailer.

More troubles are revealed as he spaces out during conversations and rejects all of her his daughter’s to get to know him again. While short and distant, their conversations are sweet and absent of any ill will, until Lloyd corners Maggie for not being truthful about her visit. She continues to pretend that her presence is just to ensure he is healthy, but it is clear that something bigger is bothering her.

The 87-minute drama, screened as part of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in the Narrative Spotlight category, comes to life through Lloyd’s worst quality. The gentleman is an engineer-turned-alien-conspiracy-theorist, merely short of donning a tinfoil hat. The most jarring scene comes when Maggie catches him going on a late-night adventure and does not even bat an eye as she tags along and they find themselves gazing out into the sky at blinking lights. It is a “UFO,” she comments, and he quickly says, “technically it is an IFO now.” As their troubled past is slowly unveiled, it becomes clear that this very behavior is what drove a wedge between him and his wife and son, eventually prompting him to leave the family and dub them as traitors.

However, Maggie did not want that as a child, and she refuses to accept it as an adult. This is where the movie’s heart beats theloudest.The young woman is well aware of her options: she either gets to have a relationship with her father and the unconventional man he is, or she loses him— a crucial life lesson that many do not learn until it is too late.

Unfortunately, in this imperfect world, love is being drawn to someone despite their flaws and other messiness. Lloyd is a man who lays it out straight. He told his children he was leaving, and he told his adult daughter that he is fine with his way of life and his hobbies. Despite their love for one another, there is nothing she can do to change him. Eventually, she learns that her closure is to accept the circumstance and figure out her next steps. What makes this an easier pill to swallow, despitethe entire movie being a tearjerker, is that Lloyd never pretends to not reciprocate Maggie’s love, and he shows it unabashedly, in the only way he can.

Acidmanis one of the most impressive movies of the year. It effortlessly captures the attention of its viewers and takes them on a journey of emotions. They will laugh, cry, and feel an unmeasurable amount of anger, but its ending will provide the perfect release—this is to the skill of everybody involved in the production process, from the sharp direction and script, to the cozy costumes, the gorgeous scenery, the lovable dog, and all the magic in between.

Acidmanhad its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival June 10, and screens June 12 and June 19. It is seeking acquisition.

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