PARK CITY – It’s exceptionally difficult to make a road trip movie compelling after more than a century of motion pictures. Especially one crossing the United States, let alone one ending in…California. A narrative setup that might be a genre in and of itself. In that context, Ramzi Bashour deserves at least some credit for making sure “Hot Water,” his feature directorial debut, comes to an empathetic conclusion. That’s also assuming, however, that you stick along for the ride.
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A world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, “Water” first introduces us to Layal (Lubna Azabal), a language instructor at Indiana University. She’s a little high-strung, and not just because she’s attempting to quit smoking. Her students continually test her patience, and she’s stressed over her mother’s health back in Lebanon. Her anxiety hits another level when, after getting into a fight following a hockey game, her son Daniel (Daniel Zolghadr) is admitted to the hospital. He’ll be fine, but it’s immediately telegraphed that Layal has been with this crap for years.
When Daniel is expelled from school because of the incident, Layal is at a loss. He’s already been held back twice, is a senior at the late age of 19, and is one semester from finally graduating. Her estranged ex-husband Anton (Gabe Fazio) offers a lifeline. Daniel can join him in Santa Cruz and finish up his final year on the West Coast. With seemingly no choice, Layal grabs a frustrated Daniel, and they hit the road expecting to meet Anton halfway in Colorado.
One has to assume Bashour has done his research on the genre because he subtly delights in flipping the expectations of his travelers. When mom and son meet up with Anton’s friend Sasha in Colorado (the fantastic Dale Dickey), they immediately make the worst assumptions about this truck-driving hippie (to be fair, their issues with Anton, who has flaked on picking up Daniel, also influence their apprehension). A few dips in the nearby hot springs later, and Layal and Sasha have hit it off, and Daniel’s worldview begins to expand. Later, when Daniel convinces his mother to pick up a hitchhiker, they bond over immediately realizing it’s a big mistake (don’t worry, this movie never hints at taking that dark a turn).
“Hot Water” embraces the age-old nostalgia of diners, crappy roadside motels, and the requisite stop in Las Vegas, which, frankly, is completely wasted. It’s all a bit of a drag, though, until the duo arrives in Santa Cruz, and everyone discovers what Anton has been up to over the past few years. And if you’re a local or lived in Northern California, you’ll probably react with a bit of a shrug.
At the heart of the movie is a mother-son relationship with super-low stakes. They may bicker and argue, but you never believe they really don’t get along or care for each other. To be fair, Bashour has crafted authentic arcs for both of his leads, but one comes somewhat out of the blue, and the other ends up being more of a relief than anything else. Again, shrug.
If you stick around, it’s likely because of Zolghadri and Azabal’s onscreen chemistry. And thankfully, the aforementioned Dickey and Fazio bring some spark to the proceedings when they pop on screen (talented actors are often cast for a reason). Plus, much of the footage shot across the Western states is quite pretty. Bashour and cinematographer Alfonso Herrera Salcedo have an eye and know where to pull over on Interstates 70 and 15. And yes, there is a tender car ride at the end of the film that demonstrates Bashour’s talent, but it just isn’t enough to separate everything else from a long line of similar independent movies, let alone over 40 years of similar Sundance indies. Again, shrug. [C]
Follow along for all of our coverage from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival here.
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