For my final dispatch of Sundance 2026, I talk about three films I screened virtually from home (though I originally saw “The Musical” in Park City, but I enjoyed it so much I watched it a second time at home). Coming of age was a popular recurring theme in many of the films I screened throughout the festival. While these three may not all directly be considered a coming of age film, each one in their own way dances around those growing pains and all the messy emotions that come with it.
The Musical
As the surprise of the festival for me, Giselle Bonilla’s debut “The Musical” is a sharp comedy depicting one of the most powerful emotions in the world: spite. When middle school music teacher Doug (Will Brill) discovers that his now ex-girlfriend Abigail (Gillian Jacobs) is dating Principal Brady (Rob Lowe), he hatches a plan to use the school musical to sabotage Brady’s reputation. In the style of a paranoid 1970’s thriller, Bonilla crafts a theatrical comedy of one man’s road to revenge.
With quick zooms and dramatic lighting, “The Musical,” is both comedy and melodrama. Doug spouts inciteful rhetoric to his impressionable students to radicalize them to his side, citing ‘The Machine’ as the enemy, i.e., Principal Brady. He rallies them to his cause, convincing them to keep his plans a secret until the final reveal of opening night. As Doug becomes more unhinged, the absurdity reaches higher peaks, resulting in some of the biggest laughs I heard at the festival. The film’s ludicrous premise heightens it beyond a story of revenge, instead reveling in the twisted humor the premise provides.
“The Musical” succeeds in everything it sets out to do. In having Doug – an admittedly unlikable main character – fully follow through on his insane revenge plot, the film capitalizes off that humor to tell a truly original story. The juxtaposition of the middle school setting to the aesthetics of a noir film pays off in surprisingly comedic ways. It is clear that Bonilla has an eye for drama, and she executes her vision perfectly in this festival standout.
Extra Geography
While Molly Manners’s “Extra Geography” tackles different subject matter, her film still depicts her characters with the same sincere intensity that “The Musical” does. Swapping out dark, gritty frames for bright colorful ones, I fully embraced the histrionic approach “Extra Geography” takes on. When best friends Minna (Galaxie Clear) and Flic (Marni Duggan) base their summer boarding school project on falling in love, the two unknowingly embark on a journey that will rock their friendship to its core. They set their sights on geography teacher Miss Delavigne (Alice Englert) at the same time that boys from the neighboring school come to participate in their production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ While harboring a deep love and respect for the other, the two competitive girls begin to pull in opposite directions that threatens to rip that thread that so closely ties them together.
As the girls read up on classic romances and mimic the actions of falling in love, their competitiveness begins to create a rift. Not only do their ambitions threaten them, but their priorities begin to shift as well. Minna’s eyes turn closer to the boy-filled theater production while Flic throws herself into geography to impress Miss Delavigne. These growing differences are depicted in painful truths that it feels like a gut punch – everyone remembers the fear of losing your best friend.
Manners crafts an amusing sisterhood between these two young girls. When they’re aligned, their youthful misguided actions are comical. When they begin to separate, those cutting instances where the person that knows you best begins to feel like the worst thing in the world. Circling around queerness, budding sexuality, and friendship, “Extra Geography” feels like an all too real depiction of teenage girlhood. Clear and Duggan’s chemistry jump off one another, their quick dialogue reflects their close bond and all the pain that can bring as it begins to fracture. One thing Manners’s film makes clear is that adolescent girlhood is all too Shakespearean.
Carousel
As a huge fan of Rachel Lambert’s previous Sundance hit “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” her new film “Carousel” was one of my most anticipated. Despite rockier building blocks, “Carousel” still depicts its characters and setting in deeply intimate ways that are reminiscent of her previous film. Small town doctor Noah’s (Chris Pine) life is disrupted when old flame Rebecca (Jenny Slate) enters back into his controlled life. As they both struggle through painful pasts and hopeful futures, “Carousel” displays Lambert’s talent for depicting her characters in such a grounded way that they truly feel real.
“Carousel” is at times constructed in confusing ways. Noah’s life is fragmented, with a recent divorce and struggling teenage daughter (played by Abby Ryder Fortson) complicating his personal life while his small medical office also goes through changes. Some relationships become unclear, and when Rebecca enters the picture, their history is not clearly revealed to us. Regardless of these setbacks, Lambert’s familiar touch still shines through in each scene. The quiet nature of the town and characters opens the audience up to their private lives in intimate ways. I relished in the soft cinematography and quiet moments between the big, dramatic ones.
With Lambert’s detailed small town drama, we see how easy it is to fall back into familiar intimacy. This can feel more comfortable with someone you already know, but that can also make it that much scarier. “Carousel” offers a small look into the lives of everyday people. Pine and Slate are magnificent together. Their chemistry allows the love to blossom before our eyes, just as they allow wounds from the past to painfully prod their way into their resurrected relationship. With this entry, Lambert establishes herself as a director that can continually put out moving work.
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