The Year Between

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Joni S Indie films can be scrappy, surprising, and full of life. They can also be indulgent. The Year Between, unfortunately, is the latter. I went into this one with optimism: Steve Buscemi, an actor who usually injects any project with offbeat charm, and J. Smith-Cameron, who has proven her brilliance in Succession. But what unfolded was a flat, meandering film that never finds its rhythm. Buscemi, normally sly and understated, looks like he's clocking in for a paycheck here. His performance feels drained of the oddball spark that makes him memorable elsewhere. Smith-Cameron tries, subtly shifting her tone to play off the lead, but she's stuck volleying against dead air. The dead air comes courtesy of Alex Heller, who not only wrote and directed but also stars as Clemence. This is where the film falls apart. Heller is a flat lead, both in presence and delivery. I wanted to understand Clemence's struggles, to feel them, but the performance never conveys more than surface-level angst. It's one of those cases where being too close to the material smothers it. When a filmmaker insists on starring in their own script without the chops to carry it, the whole film caves in. There were glimmers of a better movie. Emily Robinson, as the sister, gives the film its most grounded emotional notes; her performance is lived-in and painful in the right ways. Wyatt Oleff, as the brother, is the unexpected breakout and the only character who feels like he's got a pulse. What The Year Between really needed was distance: a different actor in the lead role, and maybe a second writer to round out the characters and storyline. Instead, it plays like a student project stretched past its limits. Indie cinema thrives on risk-taking, but this is a cautionary tale: sometimes a young writer-director should step back from the camera, not hog the spotlight. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/11/25 Full Review Alec B Funny but never downplays the negative effects of mental illness (especially on loved ones). Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review James M An intimate look at some of the dilemmas of bipolar disorder and how it affects the person with the disorder and the other people in their lives. Seasoned with some tastefully honest laughs Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/04/23 Full Review Roy V Such an incursion into enemy territory, bipolar disease. Alex Heller either has first-hand experience with the disease or did her homework very well. If I met her in person I'd probably be shocked one way or the other. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/03/23 Full Review Steph B Predictable, contrived writing. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/25/23 Full Review Carol M This totally original and unexpected story explores mental illness in a way that is fresh, candid, intimate and hilarious. Go. See. This. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Year Between

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