Acidman movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Acidman

This dramatic sci-fi movie releases in theaters and Video on Demand on March 31, 2023.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 27 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about Maggie who tracks down her estranged and reclusive father. She discovers his world of UFO-hunting as she realizes the sobering effects of aging.

The gentle film was directed by Alex Lehmann with screenwriting help from Chris Dowling.

THINGS I LIKED:

I’ve been a fan of Thomas Haden Church for decades, ever since I first saw him in the cute TV show Wings. I loved seeing him in this. He did an outstanding job. Some film critics have been saying this is his best performance ever.
I’m always happy to see Dianna Agron get work in movies. Probably like you, I had never seen her in anything until the popular TV show GLEE. She’s lovely and also gives us a good performance as she stretches her acting chops and shows us what she can do.
Gorgeous cinematography.
It’s fascinating to watch the interplay between the two characters and how they realize how much they’re truly alike.
Parent/child relationships can be complicated and take a completely new turn as the parent ages, resulting in a role reversal where the child needs to take care of the parent. This movie illustrates that extremely well. I could definitely relate to the sadness of those changes while watching all of my parents lose their memories and physical abilities in recent years. As you know, I’ve had to say goodbye and bury 3 parents in the past 3 months. As expected, the movie’s nuanced performances made me weep.
There are a few humorous moments, but nothing so funny that it makes you laugh out loud. Overall, it’s a very reflective, slow, drama.
The song at the end was perfect.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some viewers might complain that the pacing is too slow. That’s part of the journey. It illustrates well how slow life meanders from childhood to adulthood, yet also how relationships evolve.
If you’re expecting to see aliens, you’ll be disappointed.
The title of the film is a bit misleading. It makes it sound like a superhero movie or something!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be completely bored because the whole film is about two adults talking.
Profanity, including F-bombs
Guns
A dog gets shot. We see blood.
A man smokes marijuana and talks about a trip.
Portrayal of death

THEMES:

Father/daughter relationships
Connection
Parenting
Acceptance of change
UFOs
Wonder
Believing in others
Supporting others
Aging
Blood is thick
Hope
Imagination

FUNNY LINES:

“Does he know how to use a chainsaw? It’s important.” – Lloyd (Thomas Haden Church)
“We went fishing with Bobby Sock.” – Lloyd “Who’s Bobby Sock?” – Charlie (Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris) “He’s a sock.” – Lloyd
“Truth is more important than the facts.” – Lloyd (Thomas Haden Church
“Happy hunting.” – Maggie “I prefer to call it searching.” – Lloyd

INTERESTING LINES:

“It’s amazing. So much that we don’t know about. So much that mankind doesn’t want to know about. It’s a shame.” – Lloyd (Thomas Haden Church)
“It’s a kind of interplanetary drive-by.” – Lloyd (Thomas Haden Church)
“They found me for a reason. They knew.” – Lloyd “They knew what, Dad?” – Maggie “That I was listening.” Lloyd