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🎃Danielle🎃2.5

Tribeca Film Festival 2026A looooooong 108 minutes. I’m barely familiar with Zach Braff other than name recognition and the premise only seemed somewhat interesting but I needed a filler so went to check out Jake Allyn’s Clean Hands. A film about a city cop (Braff) waging a war against drugs on the street dealing with his own daughter’s (Esther McGregor) addiction. While the daughter/father dynamic is solid, as is the performances, this is a badly paced film that I really struggled with.I hate when my main critique of a film is it being boring, especially a drama I back up with saying I’m not a big fan of the genre but having just come off of The Accompanist (a great drama), I’m not going to say it. The script just doesn’t have a lot going for it. While this is a true story, it’s been done before. The other issue is the compressed timeline. There are moments where the film jumps ahead and sometimes without any connective tissue. At the beginning, Brooke (McGregor) has a black eye as result of stealing drugs from a neighborhood bad guy (Kraig Dane). A scene later it disappears. I thought I was looking at flashbacks, only to realize her eye had healed (which to my knowledge doesn’t happen over night). That was my biggest qualm because it confused me but it happens multiple times. In addition, this feels like it reaches an end point and keeps going and going and going which is a pet peeve of mine.I can’t take anything away from the performances though. McGregor is the standout with her angelic face and green eyes that fill with tears throughout. She gives her all to her performance and some of it is gut wrenching. Braff is also very good. I know he’s more of a comedic actor and he shows here that he’s very capable of handling drama. The two have believable father/daughter chemistry and his character’s devotion to her wellbeing is commendable. Also really nice to see Holt McCallany show up for a scene at the end. Overall, I wasn’t really a fan of this at all. I give credit for the performances. They’re solid, but ultimately I couldn’t wait for this to end.June 2026 First-Time Watches Ranked (8 out of 8 to date)

filmfestival3.5

Like Beautiful Boy and Ben Is Back, Jake Allyn’s Clean Hands deals with the helplessness of parents whose teenager struggles with addiction. It also highlights the shortcomings and inequities within the justice and healthcare systems.It is based on the true story of the Simmers family, played by Zach Braff, Esther McGregor, and Abigail Spencer. As expected, it is a difficult watch, but a captivating one from beginning to end. McGregor blew me away as Brooke, who is fighting her demons to survive while desperately trying not to be a disappointment to her father. Braff is convincing in a role unlike those he is usually known for as the narcotics cop, who is determined to save his daughter.Allyn, who also wrote the script, does not attempt to take big swings with the material and lets the story and the performances speak for themselves.Kevin and Dana Simmers were in the audience at the screening I attended. Braff was very emotional talking across from them during the entirety of the Q&A. You could tell that the project meant a lot to him.It was just announced that Vertical picked up the film for a North American release. One third of the film’s profits will go to the non-profit, all-women recovery home the Simmers had opened. For those in NYC, there is also one more festival screening on June 11.Jake Allyn and Zach Braff at the Tribeca Q&A:x.com/lifeisafilmfest/status/2064424311041957948x.com/lifeisafilmfest/status/2064045780416053569

cadie4.0

Caught at Nashville Film Festival and wish I could’ve stayed for the Q&A! But, wow. Incredible story, loved the sound design and many of the parallel shots. No dry eyes around me, I’ll say. I kept feeling as if the ending was a little long, but once we got to the true end, I realized it was all quite necessary, and beautiful.