Title: I Hate New Years
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Christin Baker
Starring: Ashley Argota, Dia Frampton, Candis Cayne
Runtime: 1 hr 18 mins

What It Is: Singer Layne Price (Frampton) is returning to her home town of Nashville seeking
inspiration. Before she leaves she visits psychic Zelena (Cayne) who gives her some interesting news. Once Layne gets back she is staying with her best friend Cassie (Argota) as she runs around the city old feelings for her former lover lead to the two of them running around in search of her. What they discover instead might be even more important. Layne feels inspiration. As the night, one she claims to not care for comes to a close Layne is now closer to the people in her life and with the music itself.

What We Think: As I said to director Christin Baker this is a film that has all the hallmarks of romcom cheesiness and I’m living for that! Dia Frampton and Ashely Argota have chemistry and the story (played out through them) works really well. Nashville looks absolutely gorgeous at night here and plays, as cliche as it sounds, like a character. Let’s talk about music. Which is absolutely fire. “Flatline”, “Hours of the Night” and “If I Was Your Girl” are all straight bangers that anybody can rock out to. It is “North Star” during the film’s final moments though that makes the experience worth it. I didn’t care for Candis Cayne’s throughline as it came off too forced and hampered the plot.

Our Grade: C+, Having said all that go and check this one out. Support independent cinema! This is a message we ourselves support. Check out our interview with the two leads and director below. This is easy to find as it’s out on VOD right now! It’s a welcomed dose of saccharin for 2020. Attention casting directors these two ladies in this film are a triple threat and I cannot wait to see them in more things.