[Tribeca 2024] SACRAMENTO -- Michael Angarano's Hand at the Buddy Road Trip Movie

Review by Tatiana Miranda

Most recognizable from his leading role in Disney's Sky High, Michael Angarano has recently gained more notoriety for his roles in films such as Oppenheimer. Now, he stars in his sophomore film as director and writer, Sacramento. Co-written with Chris Smith, the movie follows Angarano's character, Ricky, as he grapples with his father's death and reminisces on past relationships. Alongside Angarano, the film stars Maya Erskine, Kristen Stewart, and Michael Cera as Ricky's old friend Glenn. While the movie might initially seem like a classic buddy road trip comedy, it attempts to tackle deeper subjects, such as fatherhood and relationships.

Sacramento opens with a meet-cute between Ricky and Erskine's character, Tallie. The film quickly shifts its focus away from them as we see Ricky in a rehab center following the death of his father. A know-it-all who tends to project his issues onto others, he finds himself visiting Glenn, who is hesitant about Ricky's reappearance and incredibly stressed about his impending fatherhood, which he tries to hide from Ricky. After an uncomfortable lunch together, Ricky lies and guilts Glenn into traveling from LA to Sacramento. By the end of the trip, the two have made amends and made strides in their respective romantic relationships.

Like Angarano's directorial debut, Avenues, Sacramento is an awkward and understated emotional comedy. But Ricky's unlikable and untrustworthy personality, mixed with Glenn's uncomfortable and extreme behaviors, make the film too awkward for its own good. While the movie tries to show the nuances of the beginnings of fatherhood, it feels a bit cartoonish as we see Glenn have a mental breakdown due to the stress of becoming a first-time dad. Mirrored is the equally neurotic Ricky as he tries to make amends with those he ignored following his dad's death. Kristen Stewart also plays a similarly one-dimensional character as the stoic wife to Glenn. Every character acts a bit too outlandish for the audience to be able to empathize with them or understand their emotional state beyond quick gags.

​As a rare road trip comedy, Sacramento has the potential to be an interesting story about grieving a parent while also becoming one for the first time, but Ricky's loss is more of a driving force for the plot rather than a way to gain insight into the character's delay in becoming a father. In fact, not much is discussed when it comes to his dad or the relationship they shared, but instead, the act of his death is more what Ricky uses as an excuse for his behavior. With a film with so many different relationships, both on- and off-screen, hardly any of them feel like authentic and wholesome depictions. Glenn and his wife are opposites, and they are so comical that it makes it hard to picture them as a real, functional couple. Meanwhile, Ricky and Glenn's relationship is not given enough depth and chemistry to account for the years that they supposedly spent as close friends.

Although Sacramento has its moments, such as the gorgeous cinematography and funny interactions between characters, it feels too distant to leave a lasting emotional impression. With a film as understated as this one, the flaws outweigh any potential merit the movie may have.

Sacramento premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, which ran June 5-16 in New York City.

Rating: 2/5