Songs for a Sloth

As wacky as its premise might seem, this unique musical dramedy co-starring a talking sloth is actually pretty mainstream and perfectly fine. It deals with the shake-up of understanding how our parents have shaped who we've become -- combined with the wake-up of realizing who we'd like to be without their intereference. The sloth is Maxwell's subconscious giving him guidance that leads to self-discovery. While Songs for a Sloth isn't likely to change anyone's life, many will appreciate watching someone else's catharsis. Maxwell is a stand-in for writer-director Bradley Hasse, who similarly abandoned his artistic dreams for a stable income in advertising so that he could take care of his sick father; he eventually came back to his dream of making movies.

While he came to filmmaking later in life, Hasse demonstrates that he's got the goods. The script is an original, and the actors are wonderful. The sloth scenes are the slowest (makes sense), while the interactions between the siblings sizzle. Maxwell's irresponsible artist brother Barney (Brian McCarthy) is an ideal comic foil to suffocatingly responsible Max. It makes you wonder why you don't see McCarthy in more substantial roles more often. When sister Jenna (Ava Eisenson) shows up, the trio's dynamic feels totally authentic: They're siblings who jab at one other while also worrying about and caring for one other. Eisenson brings full dimension to a character who could easily be a caricature: a social media influencer who sees her career as an artistic endeavor. The chemistry between the trio and their individual delivery is top-notch; when they're together, this film about family sings.