Omaha movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Omaha

Opening in New York April 24, 2026, and in Theaters Nationwide This May.

RATING: PG-13 (Note: Some sources list as NR/Not Rated)

LENGTH: 83 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL: Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, a desperate father (John Magaro) suddenly packs his nine-year-old daughter and four-year-old son into their car for a cross-country journey from Nevada to Nebraska. While the kids initially view the trip as a spontaneous adventure, the audience slowly realizes they are witnessing a family on a downward spiral following the death of their mother and a looming home foreclosure.

It is a fictionalized story written by Robert Machoian, who is also a photography professor at Brigham Young University. I graduated from BYU too! Machoian first conceived the idea for the script in 2008 after being inspired by true stories surrounding Nebraska’s original “Safe Haven” law. In a unique legislative oversight that year, Nebraska passed a law intended for infants but failed to include an age limit. This led to a brief period where parents, often those desperate, grieving, or financially broken, travelled from all over the country to leave children of all ages at hospitals, knowing they would become immediate wards of the state. How unimaginably tragic!

The director, Cole Webley, has described the film as a “fictionalized account” and a “parable” intended to explore themes of fatherhood and the American dream with compassion rather than judgment. While it isn’t a documentary, the filmmakers conducted extensive research to ensure the family’s experience felt authentic to the real tragedies that occurred during the 2008 financial crisis. This is Cole Webley’s feature film debut.

Already, the film has received 9 nominations and 6 wins at various film festivals around the world!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Mature Themes: The film deals heavily with financial desperation, grief, and child abandonment. This movie is definitely not intended for children.
Emotional Intensity: The “gut-punch” ending is emotionally shattering and may be difficult for younger viewers or parents to process.
Language/Behavior: Includes realistic family dialogue, such as kids talking about “eating boogers” and mild instances of children shoplifting toys due to their father’s lack of funds.

THEMES:

The fragility of the American Dream
Parental desperation and the weight of “unfathomable decisions.”
Childhood innocence vs. growing awareness
Grief and the long-term effects of loss
Economic hardship
Family and parenting

THINGS I LIKED:

Stellar Performances: John Magaro gives a mesmerizing and career-best performance as a father vibrating with grief. This is so heartbreaking to watch.
Child Actors: Molly Belle Wright is completely adorable and a natural star, carrying much of the film’s emotional weight.
Cinematography: The film beautifully captures the country during a difficult time.
Efficient Pacing: At only 83 minutes, the film meanders along I-80. You’re pretty sure you know what’s going to happen, so you want the characters to take their time being together.
Heartbreaking Lessons: There isn’t much talking in the movie and not as much action either, yet the movie speaks volumes. We can learn to not judge others, be more helpful to those in need, be kind to overwhelmed parents, donate more often to the homeless, love each other better, reach out for resources when we struggle, savor the moments we have with family, and on and on.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The Ending: Some viewers may feel the final act is rushed or underwhelming compared to the tension built during the road trip. This is not a happy, feel-good movie to watch. It’s devastating, really.
Lack of Perspective: The film stops short of exploring the long-term consequences of the father’s decision, which may leave some feeling the story is “incomplete”.
Slow Burn: Those looking for a plot-driven adventure may find the meditative and meandering pace too slow.

FUNNY LINES:

The “Would you rather” game questions were hilariously disgusting.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Why go to Omaha?” — asked by the children, reflecting the mystery of their destination.

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

Aftersun (for its similar dreamy atmosphere and father-daughter dynamic): https://moviereviewmom.com/aftersun-movie-review/
The Florida Project (for its portrayal of “scraping by” through a child’s eyes): https://amzn.to/4sYWVl1
Sophie’s Choice (for its exploration of impossible parental decisions): https://amzn.to/4vkrlzN