Adam the First movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Adam the First

This dramatic, coming-of-age film had a theatrical release in the USA in February, and is now available on VOD on Fandango at Home and Apple TV.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 43 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

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IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a 14-year-old boy named Adam who sets out on a cross-country adventure to track down a series of men who could be his estranged father.

The film was written and directed by Irving Franco.

I really loved this film. Already, it has been nominated for multiple awards at various film festivals. Congrats to the team!

THINGS I LIKED:

There is so much I CAN’T tell you about the story in order to make it spoiler free! What I absolutely loved about this movie is that my perspective kept changing as I tried to figure out what was going on with each character. I was genuinely surprised in the end. That doesn’t happen that often for me in movies! The film did a great job of helping me see things from different perspectives.
The cast is really great with standouts that include David Duchovny, Oakes Fegley, T.R. Knight, Larry Pine, and K.J. Baker. Everyone did a fantastic job.
Oakes Fegley has been nominated for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actor. Well deserved. For such a young actor, he already has such an impressive filmography. I’m a huge fan and expect him to have a mighty future in Hollywood. Two of his siblings in real life are also actors: August Kiss Fegley and Winslow Fegley. In the movie, Oakes plays a 14-year-old kid, but he’s 19 in real life.
The film is filled with so many interesting characters that we get to meet. I love movies that show a protagonist’s journey and self-discovery. Adam learns in a fatherly way about life from each of the men he thinks might be his father.
The cinematography by the Daniel Brothers is terrific. We see some fascinating landscapes.
There is some gentle humor.
I love the title. It kept me guessing what the true meaning was throughout my entire viewing until Act 3. I love movie titles with layers of meaning.
The film has earned a 100% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes for many months rating. I’m adding to that long list of fans!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some film critics have complained that the tone of the movie shifts quite a bit. I tend to agree. Act 1 feels very different from Act 3. No matter. I still thought the pacing was good and I loved it.
Other film critics have stated that they think the story is shallow and melodramatic. I disagree and still loved it.
The dialogue could have possibly used another edit.
There is a fantasy-type scene in Act 3 that might confuse viewers. It shows the boy moving in a vehicle, yet the next scene shows that he hasn’t moved at all. Audiences need to know it’s a symbolic representation.