Review: Omaha

6 June, 2026 Chai Simone 0 Comments 2 categories

Title: Omaha
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Cole Webley
Starring: John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis
Runtime: 1 hr 23 mins

What It Is: A widower (Magaro) takes his two young children Ella and Charlie on a spontaneous road trip. As he struggles with his mental health and surviving in poverty, he takes his family to Omaha for reasons unbeknownst to them.

What We Think: John Magaro from First Cow and Past Lives? Count us in. While the subject of this naturalistic family road trip drama is worth discussing, Magaro’s heart stabbing performance makes it worth the watch. He brings a tangible frustration and grief to the character of this broken father as he feels he has no other choice but to deconstruct his family in order to save his children. Magaro, the kiddos, and the many beautifully shot locations bring this stinging reality to life, as it makes clear in a sympathetic light that this was and is the awful reality for many American parents and their children. This film warmly displays the hardship of being a parent, especially when they find themselves between a rock and a hard place like this. The photogenic nature of this film’s eye brings a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for stretches of land and beaten-down towns. It balances the delicate emotional relationships between the characters that makes the losses feel that much more relatable and makes its point like a nail hammered through a wall.

Our Grade: B-, Bittersweet, heartfelt, and honest. If you yearn to get your heart broken in a Florida Project type of fashion, this may be the movie for you. While I was hoping for more of a conclusion and it ends on a bit of a quieter note (I maybe would’ve liked at least one or a few more story beats with the father) this film accomplishes what it sets out to do with beauty and realness.