OMAHA

After a family tragedy, siblings Ella and Charlie are unexpectedly woken up by their dad and taken on a journey across the country, experiencing a world they’ve never seen before. As their adventure unfolds, Ella begins to understand that things might not be what they seem.

Omaha has a stripped-down intimacy that forgoes overly written dialogue and plotting, instead providing space for the deep emotional depths experienced by this family trudging along their pained road trip across America. Director Cole Webley’s first feature shines in its care for quiet humanity by bringing a loving touch to the screenplay from filmmaker Robert Machoian (The Killing of Two Lovers, 2020 Sundance Film Festival). The filmmakers lean heavily on the cast to provide the film’s biggest power in the performances of John Magaro (Past Lives) and newcomers Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis. As Magaro fights to perfect the illusion of a fun family vacation for the free-spirited Solis, the knowing eyes of Wright keep careful watch and become the emotional core of the entire film.