“You’d have to be made of stone to not get a bit weepy at Cole Webley’s feature directing debut, the heartbreaking road trip drama Omaha. Led by the red-hot John Magaro, who has long been a reliable hand but now is reaching must-watch status, the film is absolutely drowning in sadness and dread for the end of one broken family’s journey. There are moments of light and laughter to be found, and even a spark of hope, but they are all tinged with a melancholy that is tough to bear.”
That’s the beginning of my review of Omaha from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It’s a film that has stuck with me ever since. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one. The sobering drama was a critical darling, and went on to have an award-winning festival run. So what’s the movie about that has people talking about the impact Omaha has had on them? Well, I can’t really say.
While Omaha isn’t some JJ Abrams mystery box or anything, the revelation at the end of this road trip drama is straight gut punch. Set during the 2008 economic crisis, the film stars Magaro as a father who takes his two kids on a fateful road trip after their home is foreclosed. The journey is filled with moments of light and tremendous sadness, but it’s not until the truth about the destination is revealed that Omaha makes its biggest mark.
Magaro is joined in the cast by Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis, who play his kids, both wise beyond their years and suspecting that Dad is carrying more than he can bear.
Omaha opens in New York theaters on April 24th from Greenwich Entertainment, with a national rollout in May.
