Chasing Summer (2026) Movie Review: When Arthouse Ambition Collides With Rom-Com Convention

Josephine Decker's Chasing Summer represents one of 2026's most fascinating experiments: what happens when an avant-garde filmmaker known for psychologically intense dramas like Madeline's Madeline applies her distinctive visual language to a conventional romantic comedy? The result, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, is a film perpetually at war with itself.

Written by and starring comedian Iliza Shlesinger, the 91-minute film follows Jamie, a disaster relief worker whose life implodes when her boyfriend dumps her. With nowhere else to go before her dream Jakarta assignment, Jamie returns to her suburban Texas hometown after nearly 20 years. The cast includes Garrett Wareing as a charming younger love interest, Tom Welling as her ex-boyfriend, Megan Mullally as her opinionated mother, and Cassidy Freeman as her reformed delinquent sister. Produced by Indus Valley Media, Burn Later Productions, and Moontower Productions II, the comedy-drama is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

This film matters as a genuine artistic risk: can a director's experimental style elevate formulaic material, or does the collision create incoherence? Shlesinger draws from her Dallas-area upbringing to explore themes of arrested development and confronting one's past.

Story and Screenplay: Familiar Bones With Unusual Flesh

Shlesinger's screenplay builds on foundation blocks anyone will recognize: the protagonist returns home humbled, confronts old flames, takes a menial job at her sister's roller rink, and discovers what truly matters. Jamie hits every expected station, from awkward grocery store encounters to pool parties where she feels conspicuously older.

What distinguishes the narrative is the psychological complexity Shlesinger attempts. Jamie hasn't just avoided her hometown; she's been running from trauma involving her ex-boyfriend Chase, who allegedly spread a cruel pregnancy rumor. This betrayal shaped her adult life, driving constant movement and commitment issues. The script explores how Jamie acts simultaneously like a worldly professional and a teenager who never emotionally graduated high school.

However, the screenplay struggles with logic. Why does Jamie return when she has other options? Why does her impressive career matter so little to everyone? The motivations feel contrived, and the rumor isn't severe enough to justify two decades of avoidance. The pacing varies wildly, rushing through exposition while lingering on scenes that don't advance the story. At 91 minutes, it feels both too short to develop relationships and too long for the thin narrative.

Acting and Characters: Committed Performances in Underwritten Roles

Iliza Shlesinger carries the film, appearing in virtually every frame. She brings sharp timing and genuine vulnerability to Jamie, excelling at conveying the specific anxiety of returning to a place where you feel simultaneously superior and inferior. However, she plays Jamie perhaps too earnestly. The performance needed more edge to make us truly invest in this woman's journey.

Garrett Wareing emerges as the film's secret weapon. As Colby, the improbably mature younger man who falls for Jamie, he radiates Texas charm combined with unexpected emotional intelligence. Wareing makes Colby genuinely appealing, and his chemistry with Shlesinger provides the film's most electric moments, particularly in intimate scenes that Decker shoots with unusual sensuality.

Megan Mullally commits fully to her Southern matriarch role, making Layanne both frustrating and loving, though the character never escapes caricature. Tom Welling's casting as Chase feels like intentional stunt work banking on Smallville nostalgia. Lola Tung makes the most of limited screen time as younger coworker Harper. The ensemble suffers from a fundamental problem: most characters exist only to serve Jamie's arc rather than having inner lives.

Direction and Technical Aspects: Visual Flourish Versus Narrative Clarity

Josephine Decker's direction represents the film's most divisive element. Cinematographer Eric Branco's camera constantly moves, wheeling through scenes in elaborate long takes that sometimes enhance emotion and sometimes simply disorient. The opening disaster relief sequence swoops through the aid camp in one unbroken shot, establishing visual sophistication but creating tonal whiplash with comedy beats.

Decker's editing frequently abandons conventional continuity. Actors jump positions between cuts, scenes shift abruptly, and spatial geography becomes confusing. These choices create unintentional disorientation rather than enhancing emotional truth. The cinematography captures Southern summer heat effectively, and intimate sequences between Jamie and Colby showcase genuine sensuality. However, Decker's visual choices often feel at odds with Shlesinger's script, as if director and writer are fighting for control.

Music and Atmosphere: Borrowed Emotion and Nostalgic Needle Drops

The soundtrack leans heavily on late '90s alternative rock to establish millennial nostalgia. Blink-182 and similar bands effectively place audiences in Jamie's emotional headspace. The film's most audacious choice comes during the climax, when Decker deploys Shelley Duvall's "He Needs Me" from Popeye, the same song Paul Thomas Anderson used in Punch-Drunk Love. This reference-within-a-reference aims for emotional resonance but highlights how much Chasing Summer pales in comparison.

The atmosphere succeeds in evoking the disorientation of returning home. The familiar-yet-strange quality permeates scenes, though whether this results from intentional direction or accidental incoherence remains unclear. Moments of genuine romance break through in quieter scenes that allow tenderness to breathe.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What Works Well:

• Garrett Wareing's breakthrough performance brings unexpected depth and genuine charm to what could have been a fantasy figure.
• The age-gap romance is handled with surprising maturity and genuine sensuality, avoiding cheap jokes while acknowledging reality.
• Shlesinger's comedic timing and physical comedy skills elevate scenes of social awkwardness.
• Individual moments work beautifully, particularly quieter scenes exploring authentic friendship across generations.
• The cinematography occasionally achieves genuine beauty capturing Southern summer light and atmosphere.

What Doesn't Work:

• The collision between Decker's experimental style and Shlesinger's conventional screenplay creates persistent tonal whiplash.
• The premise strains credibility regarding why Jamie's career matters so little and why she remained fixated on high school drama.
• Most supporting characters exist as types rather than fully realized people, making the hometown feel like sitcom archetypes.
• Editing and continuity choices create confusion rather than enhancing emotion, with unclear spatial relationships.
• The narrative feels both rushed and padded, speeding through development while lingering on scenes that don't advance story.

Final Verdict: An Ambitious Misfire Worth Discussing

Rating: 3/5 stars

Chasing Summer earns 3 out of 5 stars because, while it fails to cohere into a satisfying whole, the failure itself proves fascinating. The rating reflects genuine ambition and moments of success undermined by fundamental incompatibility between creative forces. The romance between Jamie and Colby works because both performers commit fully, and Wareing's performance alone makes the film worth watching for those interested in emerging talent.

This film will appeal to fans of Iliza Shlesinger's comedy who will appreciate her performance and humor. Those interested in directorial craft might enjoy watching Josephine Decker attempt to apply her distinctive style to mainstream material. Audiences seeking sex-positive romantic comedy that treats adult desire seriously will find those elements refreshingly frank. The film also works for viewers willing to embrace tonal inconsistency as part of the experience.

Conversely, audiences seeking straightforward romantic comedy should look elsewhere. The experimental flourishes will frustrate those wanting clear storytelling and consistent tone. Anyone expecting the psychological complexity of Decker's earlier work will be disappointed by thin character development and predictable plotting. The film won't satisfy purists on either end: Shlesinger fans might find Decker's direction too pretentious, while Decker admirers might view this as a disappointing retreat.

Chasing Summer functions better as a thought experiment than as a fully realized film. The pieces occasionally align, particularly in the central romance and individual moments of visual beauty or comedic timing. But these successes remain isolated rather than building toward cumulative impact. For a 91-minute film, it feels simultaneously too short to develop ideas and too long for the story being told. Still, there's something admirable about the attempt. In an era of safe streaming comedies, this risk deserves acknowledgment, even if the gamble doesn't fully pay off.