Sacramento (2024) ‘Sydney Underground’ Movie Review

Michael Anagaro’s road trip comedy about two immature friends coming to terms with fatherhood is a blaring marker for “low-key.” Even in its metatextual messaging, it is low-key, where it riffs on the early 2000s comedies that would star distraught teen Michael Cera; except “Sacramento” undercuts the repetitiveness of jokes in those movies by just calmly moving on to the next consequential piece of dialogue.

The prime signifier of that is casting Cera as Glenn, as if his character is the logical evolution of almost all of the characters he had played in those teen comedies, now having become an adult and having to reckon with impending fatherhood and also having to reconcile with the fact that he doesn’t have a job. On top of that, he would also have to deal with his overly extroverted friend Rickey, who Glenn wants to avoid for his mental health. The reason is never fully realized. Perhaps Glenn has outgrown Rickey’s excited and flaky irresponsibility.

Rickey, in a moment of apparent impulsiveness, wants to go on a long road trip to Sacramento to immerse his just-deceased father’s ashes. The rub is that Glenn is already aware of the death of Rickey’s dad and also that he had passed away over a year ago. But he takes that into stride primarily due to his wife’s advice acknowledging the differing processing of grief for each individual.

The concept of a road comedy evolving into men talking about their feelings or reconciling with differing identities as they enter a new phase of their lives is nothing new. Anagaro’s lightweight treatment helps differentiate from the typical Hollywood comedy in that the film stubbornly refuses to go over the top. Rickey’s character is extroverted and knowledgeable about psychological temperaments enough that he can aid others in therapy.

Sacramento (2024) ‘Sydney Underground’ Movie Review — A still from “Sacramento” (2024)

It works as an effective avoidance strategy for him when dealing with the real world until, one day, he becomes too effective and thus is kicked out. It’s that contrast with Glenn, whose low-key chemistry with his wife Rosie belies the neuroses that threaten to break out at every moment. Again, if this had been a Judd Apatow or Todd Philips-directed comedy, neuroses would have led to over-the-top hijinks, which the movie refreshingly avoids, almost stubbornly.

What this movie ultimately chooses to reckon with is maturity, smacking two of these immature dudes across the face. For Rickey, it’s in realizing that by hiding behind the excuse of hanging out with his friend, he is ultimately avoiding reality, and for Glenn, it’s in realizing to trust himself. Their respective partners, played by Maya Erskine and Kristen Stewart, are written as strong and patient characters. Stewart, especially in the limited time allotted to her, brings a fantastic dimension to the relationship between Rosie and Glenn.

I particularly liked how she softly didn’t mince words while reminding Glenn his neuroses aren’t helpful in high-pressure situations. I also appreciated how the movie, by the end, doesn’t show a complete transformation of each of the lead characters into their best selves. Instead, it’s about recognizing each other’s flaws and accepting them while giving space to listen rather than jumping to fix one another’s problems. This leads to mending the bridge between the friends, even if the bridge remains rocky.

But the script by Anagaro and Smith doesn’t break any new ground, especially in the road trip segments. Anagaro is decent as a performer, but his direction in this movie is more remarkable in how subtle it ends up being. He also excels at portraying Ricky’s stiff, awkward chemistry with Glenn, as Ricky’s attempts to connect are consistently undermined by Glenn pointing out each of his efforts. It’s also remarkable how Sacramento and the cross-country road trip are depicted visually. Anagaro is very interested in depicting the vastness of the American City as shown through the horizon, perhaps to counter the relatively interior stakes and the overall relatability. The editing by Max Goldblatt ensures that the movie complements Anagaro’s vision of not overstaying too long in improving and riffing on jokes.

But the film’s entire onus lies on Cera. As a father unable to reconcile his neuroses and slowly and steadily falling apart while stubbornly trying to maintain an even keel even as the film finally gives in to the over-the-top climax, he is terrific. His dilemma and fears of fatherhood come to the forefront, allowing Rickey to share the one vulnerable conversation with him, breaking through their internalized emotionality. Overall, “Sacramento” is sweet and low-key charming, held together by Cera’s affecting performance.