Title: Magic Hour
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Jacqueline Christy
Starring: Miriam Shor, Josh Stamberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

What It Is: Harriet (Shor) was once a promising filmmaker, but now she’s a mom stuck in a cycle of merely existing rather than truly living. After discovering that her husband, Bob (Stamberg), has cheated on her, she decides it’s time to return to film school and finally pursue her dream of becoming a director. However, even at this stage, her life still isn’t where she wants it to be. There’s still a chance for her to figure it all out

What We Think: What a truly great film! These are the kinds of little indie gems that make festivals like Santa Barbara so special. Miriam Shor is outstanding here, and her character feels like a real person. Speaking with director Jacqueline Christy about putting this film together, it was clear that it was a labor of love. The best part of this entire experience is that Christy fully believes in her script and her characters. To their credit, everyone involved was fully committed. This is just a really fun film, and it’s the kind of project that’s important to check out!

Our Grade: A-, There’s an intimacy to this one, and something truly sincere about the entire film. With great performances, excellent humor, and wonderful direction, it’s easy to understand why everything works so well. I’m not sure when this will be available to a wider audience, but I highly recommend it to everyone. It’s the kind of little indie film we need right now—a story about never giving up on your dreams, no matter what punches life throws your way. There’s something so pure about what this film has to say about living the dream, or at least trying to.