Sacramento, 2024.
Directed by Michael Angarano.
Starring Michael Cera, Michael Angarano, Maya Erskine, Kristen Stewart, A.J. Mendez, Iman Karram, Rosalind Chao, Tara R Gokey, Roma Lucero, and Michael Justin Gonzales.
SYNOPSIS:
An energetic and free-spirited young man convinces his long-time friend, who’s settled into domestic life, to go on an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento.
When Rickey (director/co-writer/co-lead Michael Angarano, putting on a solid neurotic Kieran Culkin impression) drops by unannounced to see his estranged best friend Glenn (Michael Cera), he tries to get his attention by climbing and making gestures in a backyard tree. Unamused by what Glenn deems childish, his pregnant wife Rosie (Kristen Stewart) points out, “You’re the one on the floor hiding from him.” It shows that Sacramento (co-written by Chris Smith) is about two emotionally stunted friends, eventually trying to help one another in life. There is also a scene where the definition of “projection” comes up, with Rickey and Glenn arguing who is doing the projecting. It’s clear they are both a bit lost and need to straighten each other out.
Glenn is a boulder of anxiety regarding becoming a parent, overly nervous that something will go wrong with the pregnancy, to the point of being primarily annoying to Rosie. He is also terrified they will inadvertently endanger the child somehow, having a breakdown upon realizing the crib he put together has a barely loose part, making a squeaking noise. It skyrockets his anxiety into shaking and breaking the whole thing apart. When in public or visiting others, his mind goes into Final Destination mode, observing and calculating how the slightest safety hazards could blow up into something dangerous and life-threatening.
Meanwhile, Rickey is grieving his father, guilt-tripping Glenn into taking a ride across the state to Sacramento to scatter his ashes (a half-truth I won’t spoil). A prologue and one year flash forward also show that something fell apart in a spontaneous relationship between him and Tallie (Maya Erskine). He also sees how paranoid Glenn is about becoming a father and thinks he could use a weekend getaway to have some fun, not that he would ever explicitly tell him that. Nevertheless, Rosie thinks it’s a good idea to get away from that persistent paranoia, but also (and this is also unspoken) to demonstrate that she will be fine and that he shouldn’t worry 24/7.
A rekindling of that friendship ensues (it also made clear from the beginning that deep down, Glenn does miss hanging out together) with less hijinks and more earnest characterization, slowly revealing more about these two. There is also a pleasantly amusing aside where Rickey and Glenn make the acquaintance of Jess (Iman Karram) and Arielle (A.J. Mendez), who were apparently fighters and now run a gym. Some might recognize the latter as a former WWE superstar, so it’s fitting that some of the bromance between the friends comes back inside the squared circle. However, given limited screen time, she and Jess are endearing characters who give worthwhile advice. There is a sense that every interaction is peeling back another layer of Rickey and Glenn.
Note that some details about why this trip is really happening are intentionally being held back in this review, but some mild surprises recontextualize aspects of this adventure. Even if Sacramento begins to go off the rails regarding how stunted these two are, playing some concerning behavior for laughs in the final 15 minutes, it is a well-acted and touching, funny tale of refound friendship elevated by chemistry and a sense that the material is grounded in something personal. Even during its lesser moments, Michael Angarano and Michael Cera find emotional truths.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
