Mark Duplass and Katie Aselton take that longing and bring that honesty and openness to teen drama their city. Taking inspiration from Richard Linklater First In the trilogy, Duplass writes a deceptively simple story about two high schoolers who connect over a long night after a play rehearsal. Aselton directs, weaving the story in a small Maine town, transforming everyday places into sacred places of sharing. And for the lead roles this husband-wife team chose an established young actor, itElected Jacobs, and a newcomer, his daughter, Ora Duplass.
Together, they create a hangout movie that is patient, poignant, and powerful.
their city Shows the vulnerable and scary freedom of youth.
Play rehearsals begin after school, their city quickly establishes Abby (Duplass) and Matt (Jacobs) through their positions on stage. She stars opposite her moody boyfriend Tyler (William Atticus Parker). But when he suddenly disrupts production, Abby looks for a possible replacement, and finds shy Matt (Jacobs). There’s just one problem; Matt signed up to do stage crew, not to go But stage.
With some fussy encouragement from their drama teacher, Mr. Elliot (Jeffrey Self, channeling such an actor’s small-town determination), the pair decide to get to know each other after rehearsal to see how things turn out. The first stop is Abby’s house, where her mother and boyfriend are surprised to see her arriving with Matt. A heated argument ensues between mother and daughter, prompting Abby to drag Matt elsewhere. That’s Matt’s big, empty house, where his father (named David Diggs and Leonardo) will check up on him via video call.
Seeing a classmate’s house for the first time is an intense thing. Matt and Abby both encounter situations they didn’t expect, leading to some awkward conversations about preconceived notions but also human laughter. From here, they’ll wander through their town, from a beloved taco truck to a closed playground, revisiting old haunts with fresh eyes.
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Watching them wander, eat, flirt and twirl, I was thrilled, in part because I could see a reflection of my youth in their journey. After play rehearsals, hanging out with theater kids was where I finally found community. There, my nights were rich with possibilities and a feeling of infinity. There I made friends who know me decades later and continue to shape me today. Watching their city It felt like I was going back to my youth, my hometown, sitting on a forgotten swing on a dark night, where the only sound was our shared laughter.
Chosen Jacobs and Ora Duplass are magic together.
Don’t write off Ora Duplass as a Nepo baby, lest you make a fool of yourself. Although she only has a few shorts to her credit, it’s easy to see why her parents handed her the role of Abby. Ora has a natural presence on camera. Like her mother, she glows when she smiles, and bursts into tears in times of conflict. But it’s in these scenes where Abby’s confident posture falters and that simplicity reveals her depth.
At 24, Jacobs has six years left over 18-year-old Ora, and she’s been starring in all (and more) movies and shows, including IT, Hawaii Five-O, Castle Rock, Darby and the Dead, And Hunting wives. Yet they prove to be perfect scene partners Their city. Their chemistry is natural and delicate. Abby and Matt come across on screen not as an inevitable pairing, but as two strangers with an undeniable connection. Her default mode is joyful, a butterfly eager to please. He is more reserved, but not cold. For example, when Abby talks to the taco truck vendor in Spanish, Jacobs’ eyes flash with curiosity and bewilderment as he wonders what is being said and whether it might be about him.
As the night progresses, the bond between them grows through conversations about their lives, loves and struggles. Duplass’s script is too smart to get bogged down in cliché. So whenever peer pressure to be perfect, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts are discussed, there is a painful specificity and nuance to the dialogue. Through these two incredible young actors, it doesn’t feel like a script, but like a real conversation, shared on the dashboard on a starry night, or whispered over the phone line after falling asleep.
Aselton’s cinematographer Sarah Wheelden heightens this sense of intimacy through a handheld camera that moves slowly, mirroring the slow breathing in and out of growing stillness—or, at other moments, panic. The deceptively simple framing gives his heroes room to breathe and test their limits. And in each moment, we are invited to be with them. As the film finds its low point with some intense high school dramatics, it will return to a resolution that embraces the magic of being theater kids on a stage. Here’s your chance to see. Will you take it? What’s more, will you give the same gift to your partner?
Ultimately, their city is an excellent hangout movie that brilliantly captures those nights that seemed endless, those conversations that broke our minds for the better, and those relationships that shaped our souls. Aselton, who previously directed the racy sex romp freebie, tense thriller black Rockand zippy comedy mac and rita, Completely changes gears here. their city This isn’t mumblecore or a Linklater tribute. It’s a thoughtful teen drama that rejects the desire to talk down to young people, instead embracing their complexity and confusion. There is constant sympathy for Abby and Matt, as the film does not doggedly follow them, but rather admires their bravery and growth in the face of so much possibility and fear.
their city This is a quietly brilliant drama that you should not miss.
their city Reviewed from the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. Currently there is no release date for it.
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