Kodachrome is something special. A road trip reconciliation movie about fractured relationships, that rests on the shoulders of an awesome ensemble cast. For anyone who likes their melodrama bittersweet, and those moments of realisation rife with melancholy, Kodachrome might be the movie for you. Rude, rambunctious, and riddled with cancer, world renowned photographer Ben is gearing up for one final road trip. With his estranged son Matt and nurse Zooey riding shotgun, this poor excuse for a parent has some Kodachrome 64 to develop. Armed with an objectionable demeanour and disregard for anyone else, Ben aims to get them all to the only processing lab left in America before it shuts forever.
At the heart of Kodachrome is an understated performance from Ed Harris, that speaks to every parent who ever ignored their children. Opposite Jason Sudeikis as his son Matt, Harris throws insults, trades pithy putdowns, and reveals a man in denial. Consumed by his work for decades, still in mourning for a wife lost to memory, and only seeing life through his camera lens – Ben is utterly lost. In opposition to that is Jason Sudeikis in a dramatic role that will hopefully allow audiences to see beyond Ted Lasso, where they will find an actor more than capable of holding his own.
Courtesy of Netflix
Some audiences may have forgotten what Elizabeth Olsen did before the MCU, but just a brief glance through her resume reveals Martha Marcy May Marlene – an acclaimed effort from writer-director Sean Durkin. This is the territory Olsen inhabits in Kodachrome, deploying an easy charm within her performance that gives it a naturalistic edge. There might not be the same degree of trauma reflected in this road trip reconnection story, but Olsen is happy to take a literal backseat and let others lead.
Another revelation comes in the form of Bruce Greenwood as Ben’s disgruntled brother Dean. A minor moment during an unplanned detour, but one that adds colour to this dysfunctional family, who have clearly spent years putting up with bad behaviour from this black sheep. Writer Jonathan Tropper might be better known for creating Banshee and penning The Adam Project for Ryan Reynolds, but Kodachrome is a truly undiscovered gem. Rife with universal truths and the potential of reconciliations, some films are simply worth the investment. Celebrated back in 2017 at the Toronto Film Festival, this Netflix original deserves a wider audience and the campaign starts now.
Kodachrome is available to stream now on Netflix.