Review: Omaha – “an emotional gut punch of a film.”

In 2008, the economic crisis was in full swing.  It was the worst financial fall since the Great Depression wreaked worldwide havoc, with many American families suffering during the recession, losing savings and sometimes their homes.  It is this stressful time that sets the emotional stage for Cole Webley’s feature directorial debut, Omaha.

In the early morning hours, ‘Dad’ (John Magaro) wakes his daughter Ella (Molly Belle Wright).  Her brother Charlie (Wyatt Solis) is already waiting in the car and the father is urgent to hit the road.  He tells a sleepy Ella to take what she would want if the house was on fire.  Ella simply wants the photo of her dearly departed mother.

The family is just getting in the car, Golden Retriever Rex in tow, when the Sheriff arrives.  The kids watch on from the car. It’s difficult to say how much they know or understand, but the eviction notices on their door are clear.  As Ella and her dad push their beat-up Toyota down the road in an effort to get the engine to start it is evident, to everyone except maybe six-year-old Charlie and the dog, that they won’t be coming back.

Their destination is Nebraska, though the reason isn’t immediately made obvious.  You’ll need to wait until the end title cards that will explain why this specific state was chosen.  While the father seems to suffer in quiet, unspoken devastation, the kids try and interpret his feelings.  “Is Dad mad at us?” Charlie asks his sister one night as they settle in their motel room.  Ella isn’t sure either.  It’s in these moments that you realize how much of an impact a lack of communication can really have.

Yet there are moments of joy in this increasingly heavy journey. The siblings fly a kite through the salt flats of Utah, they see how long they can hold their breath in a motel swimming pool, they spend an afternoon experiencing the wonders of the animals at the Omaha zoo.  Dad tends to stay on the sidelines, unable to bring himself to join in, increasingly consumed by grief, loss, and trepidation for what is to come.

Written by Robert Machoian, Omaha is not dialogue-rich and relies heavily on its actors to portray the unsaid.  John Magaro (Past Lives, The Mastermind) does career-best work here as a father trying to figure out how to live in the space between love and sacrifice.  He has a tough job in getting the audience to be sympathetic, eliciting through his actions anger and sadness in almost equal measure.

But Omaha really doesn’t work without the right young person playing Ella, since the film is almost entirely told through her perspective. Molly Belle Wright is quite simply a revelation.  Child actors can sometimes go either way, but as nine-year-old Ella, Wright is able to make you feel all the weight on her little shoulders.  She shows a maturity well beyond her years, as is also demanded of her character.

Webley certainly did not pick an easy project for his debut feature.  Tackling tricky subject matter, Omaha is an emotional gut punch of a film, one that’s likely to stay with you long after the title cards explain why this story was told.  Get ready to feel absolutely shattered around minute 26, and know it gets worse.  Wembley doesn’t shy away from making you uncomfortable.  This economic situation was (and is still in some ways) reality for many, where comfort is not a reality.

A quiet film, Omaha still manages to command your attention.  Its story unfolds in a way that that has you continually questioning where it’s headed.  Truthfully, for full impact it is best to know as little as possible before going in.  Just know you’re in for some great performances, and take your tissues. Some may be more understanding than others to this father’s plight, and the decisions he makes.  Omaha asks a lot of its audience – to suspend judgement and tap into their utmost empathy.

Omaha premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.  It opens in New York on April 24th with wider release through May.

For those sensitive to animal scenes in film, know that Rex is okay.  But that 26 minute mark mentioned? That’s for your emotional preparation.