Sacramento

In likeable buddy dramedy "Sacramento" troubled Michael Angarano (terrific) tricks estranged Los Angeles pal Michael Cera (who has issues of his own - including heavily pregnant wife Kristen Stewart) into a 380 mile road-trip to Sacramento (duh)... for reasons that become apparent downstream. Maya Erskine & AJ Mendez offer good support, and 8yrs after his writer / director debut ("Avenues") Angarano again writes & directs, doing well, especially with the screenplay (co-written with first-timer Christopher Nicholas Smith) that may have too many similarities to "Sideways" to be truly original, but is still enjoyable & engaging. A good movie - props to Angarano.

Michael Cera spotting. Who unsurprisingly, plays the classic Michael Cera character: sweet, fidgety, awkward, manchild, armed with a deceptive sense of humour. He's one half of this road trip, buddy-buddy flick. Michael number two, Angarano, is the smooth talking, too clever for his own good chum. Young adults with looming responsibilities on a journey to who knows where.

One is escaping, the other is returning, but neither is sure to or from what.

Angarano triple duties with writing and directing credits, is perfect as the affable but dangerous friend from the past. The one that existed as an awesome school foil, but seems oddly out of step in the adult world. Despite their history, the friendship is clumsy, as crucial time has passed. Events too.

Dealing with a pregnancy and a shaky job situation, Cera is in full nervous mother hen mode, but surprisingly agrees to a road adventure with his unscrupulous chum. It is a chance to sort. The duo provides great passive aggressive sparring and physical wrestling as only true friends can. And we have movie.

"Sacramento" turns out to be a classic talkie that explores emotional conflict and relationship struggles seldom tackled for generation Y. Feelings are hurt, lessons are learned, and there is a tidy ending. It comes with just enough funny tickles to bring it all home.

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It took me a little while to get into the vibe of 'Sacramento' but once I did it became very enjoyable. It's a similar movie in a lot of ways to 'A Real Pain'. Every character looks like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, but trying their best to hide it.

The humour in the film is what takes some adjusting to. It is extremely dry. Once you adjust and start vibing with it though there are some very funny moments it has to be said.

Michael Cera was born to plays roles like this. I'm not even sure if he's acting half the time, or whether they just started filming him on break and worked it into the story. This one was a nice surprise. 7/10.

Actor and director Michael Angarano offers us an indie journey through friendship and parenthood plagued by anxiety that makes this fun film one of the best pastimes of 2025. A road movie on a simple scale, but rewarding in its message.

An exploration of friendship.

This is a simple and human film that aims to be nothing more than a journey through the observation of modern man and his fears within his life and relationships, with all the complexity that this entails. It's a rich look at the anxiety of becoming a parent and how to cope with it all, captured in a delicious blend of dark humor and well-thought-out humor that delivers a true indie adventure with a star-studded cast. Michael Angarano and Michael Cera are a formidable on-screen duo, reflecting a strange friendship that feels as real as it is enriching. Meanwhile, wonderful supporting actors like Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine provide powerful moments within this captivating story.

An intelligent management style.

In his second feature film as a director, Michael Angarano's direction is so carefully curated that it feels so innocent and unobtrusive, practically allowing us to be a traveling companion of this duo of friends. The director's great virtue is highlighting the strong connection that exists behind his cast, where directing his current partner, Maya, and his ex, Kristen, allows the director to feel truly confident in bringing the naturalness of splendidly interpreted characters. Both actresses elevate a film in which the men bear the burden of carrying the problems, but the women provide the necessary maturity to impeccably portray the challenges. An effective and enjoyable direction.

Conclusion.

A truly enjoyable film, well-made and with a deep love that gives us a great time in this anxiety-filled drama with laughter that soothes the soul and a simple and successful direction to enjoy one of the pleasant surprises of this 2025 and to which it deserves our time and enjoyment.

Sacramento (2025) is a very simple buddy comedy movie about two guys going on a road trip in California and it was really fun.

Positives for Sacramento (2025): I'm one of those people who does enjoy his fair share of road trip movie like Planes, Train and Automobiles (1987). The acting is good from Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine. The comedic chemistry between Angarano and Cera is very good. I also have to give credit to Angarano for his work in the director's chair. There is a lot of humor that worked for me. And finally, this is one of those movies where you can enjoy with a group of friends.

Negatives for Sacramento (2025): The humor isn't going to land for everyone. There are a couple of moments where the character got on my nerves with their insane shenanigans.

Overall, Sacramento (2025) is a nice buddy comedy movie that you will have fun with if you are watching with the right people.