SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! Midlife regrets and life-changing decisions are front and center in Jacqueline Christy’s comedy-drama Magic Hour. The film follows the life of suburban housewife Harriet (Miriam Shor), and its opening depicts her struggles to keep her family together, as it is the only comfort she knows. Her marriage is deteriorating due to her husband’s infidelity, and spurns from their daughter, Emma (Cameron Morton), continue to strain their already fragile relationship.
Once her husband, Bob (Josh Stamberg), asks for a divorce during their anniversary dinner, it occurs to her that she no longer has the picture perfect life she always imagined and decides to follow her dream of becoming a filmmaker. After enrolling in film school, all the while hiding the decision from her daughter to salvage whatever respect she still has for her, Harriet must soon fight to stop her film from being usurped by devious studio executives.
What is remarkable about Magic Hour is how relatable Miriam Shor is as Harriet. She compliments each scene with her presence, especially the ones she shares with Cameron Morton, creating some of the most touching mother-and-daughter scenes that seem to arise effortlessly. The way the film business is depicted is realistic, as one does not need to be a filmmaker to understand the frustration of balancing art and business.
“…Harriet decides to follow her dream of becoming a filmmaker…”
Strengths of familial bonds, redemption, and true passion foster the overall message of following a dream, no matter what the cost. Highlighted by instances of altruism and compassion in a cutthroat business, the viewer finds empathy for its sympathetic main character.
The score is never overbearing but noticeable in certain scenes that express complex emotions of despair, understanding, and remorse. The backdrop of New York City is always a solid choice for the grittiness of the characters’ surroundings without taking away from any performance.
Writer and director Jacqueline Christy is able to draw from her own experiences to weave a yarn that never seems to betray the attention of its audience. The magic of Magic Hour will give viewers a range of emotions that are unexpected but also very rewarding.
Magic Hour screened at the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
"…Giving a range of emotions that are unexpected, but very rewarding."
