Sundance 2026: Carousel

2/5

Chris Pine and Jenny Slate play a couple reunited after years apart, their unspoken history simmering beneath the surface. Both do admirable work with a weak script and overly indulgent direction (did the cast of 30 Rock shoot the film’s dozen Cleveland establishing shots?). The visuals are monotonous, making this 90-minute film feel far longer than it is.

There are a few solid crash-outs, but the film consistently strains for a profundity it never quite earns. Long, quiet shots of our leads are intercut with what the film positions as “big” conversations involving minor characters, yet these moments feel strangely disconnected from the story at hand.

Abby Ryder Fortson plays Pine’s daughter from a previous marriage and is genuinely excellent. She captures the real emotional fallout of divorce, even when material needs are met. She’s the heart of the film, grappling with her own understanding of life while her parents seem fundamentally broken by the dissolution of their marriage.

One scene stands out: a painfully familiar argument between Slate and Pine that begins narrowly and slowly metastasizes into a referendum on everything. They speak past each other, respond without listening, and embody the quiet devastation of finally confronting what’s been simmering for years. Unfortunately, the rest of the film never approaches this level of insight, ultimately feeling more like a self-indulgent exercise than a meaningful exploration of how hurt people hurt people—and how necessary vulnerability is if love is ever to be found again.