PARK CITY – Rachel Lambert continues to tease us. Once again, she demonstrates impressive auteur sensibilities in “Carousel,” a world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. She has the eye. She has the vision. And, at times, she’s a masterfully smart screenwriter. And as with her last narrative feature, “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” a Sundance premiere three years prior, it’s all still waiting to completely coalesce.
READ MORE: Sundance 2026 Preview: 30 Films We Can’t Wait To See
Shot in her hometown on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, Lambert first introduces us to Noah (Chris Pine) and his teenage daughter Maya (Abby Ryder Fortson). From a distance, we see Maya get in the passenger seat of their car. Noah stops for a moment and picks something small up next to a tire and gently puts it safely on the grass. Lambert cuts to a close-up of the worm he’s saved from being run over. Noah is that good a guy. He’s a family doctor who will let a concerned parent return with their injured child for a quick checkup without charging them, and who treats Maya with doting compassion when she freaks out over leaving her science project at home. He’ll go back and get it. She needn’t worry.
Despite outward appearances, however, things are quietly unsettled in his life. Maya is not handling her parents’ divorce well, or her mother’s subsequent new romantic partner. Sam (Sam Waterston), Noah’s medical practice partner, has decided to retire and explore the world while he still can. Their business is not flush with cash, and Noah is quietly concerned over how he’ll keep it running.
Throughout all of this, one of Lambert’s strengths is her subtle attention to detail. We never meet Maya’s potential new stepfather. In fact, we barely see Noah interact with his ex-wife in person because it’s not integral to the core narrative. It also turns out that Sam’s life partner was Noah’s father, now passed away (not as confusing as it reads). Not only is Sam close to Noah, but to Noah’s mother (Katey Sagal) as well. And it’s depicted as everyday as you might hope it would be. For better or worse, it’s life and superb Americana filmmaking in 2026.
When Noah stops by a local sports bar to catch a game, he catches Rebecca (Jenny Slate) out of the corner of his eye, eating by herself. His gaze tells us she’s not someone new. He knows her. There’s history. When Rebecca sees Noah, she reciprocates the reaction. She attempts leave before speaking to him, only to discover he’s covered her bill. Then the elliptical narrative hinted at in the film’s title begins.
Rebecca has returned to Ohio, taking a break from a stressful political career in D.C. One of her priorities is refurbishing her family’s home before she sells it. And, said parents (Jeffrey DeMunn, Jessica Harper), aren’t helping much. As she figures out whether to consult or join a new campaign, she heads to that sports bar, and the storylines converge.
Before we know it, Noah and Rebecca are passionately back in each other’s arms. Lambert masterfully depicts a delicate intimacy between the two as they slowly fall for each other once more. They grew up together and were incredibly close, until they weren’t. A fan of quick scenes, Lambert basically crafts a montage of extended moments that makes you believe their reunion was not only inevitable, but fated. Even so, there are hints of mistrust. And old wounds from decades prior soon resurface. Both Rebecca and Noah hurt each other immensely when it all ended all those years ago. And their lack of communication as young twentysomethings may hinder this new love affair today.
Surprisingly, Noah and Rebecca’s storyline peaks early during a brutal argument that is genuinely some of the finest work of both Pine and Slate’s careers. At this point, you think “Carousel” might be something special. Maybe even something masterful, but Lambert’s attention quickly shifts to Maya, her increasingly difficult relationship with her father, whether she’ll ever break through her teenage angst (grounded teenage angst, mind you), and not screw up that debate club participation she’s counting on for college. Noah also becomes obsessed with his relationship with his daughter, which puts him at odds with Rebecca, who is, yes, Maya’s debate club coach. As the proceedings become less compelling, he makes an unexpected choice that seems like a massive detour based on what we’ve witnessed previously. It’s all becomes a bit of a head-scratcher.
The good news is that Lambert demonstrates an abundance of talent on screen. Her written dialogue is so good, we’re not sure the concept of exposition ever crosses her mind. You understand why this screenplay made the prestigious Blacklist until the third act, when you begin to question what Lambert wants the audience to actually invest in. As a director, she’s mastered composing intimate scenes from a distance that allows her characters’ emotions to percolate without a hint of melodrama. Her cinematographer, Dustin Lane, also deserves credit in this regard, but as a filmmaker, in any context, this is hard to pull off.
Most importantly, “Carousel” is another entry in a run of magnificent Jenny Slate performances. We’re not sure how long it will last, but she continues to demonstrate how captivating she can be in a dramatic context. With Lambert’s narrative losing focus, she almost single-handedly pulls the film across the finish line in a long, extended take that recalls the glorious cinéma vérité from earlier in the picture. And you just want more. More Jenny Slate in captivating dramas, please. More. More. More. [B-/C+]
Follow along for all of our coverage from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival here.
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Bluesky
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Threads
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Instagram
Sign Up For The Breakdown Newsletter
