As our world hurtles toward darkness at a breathtaking speed, many filmmakers have tuned their lenses toward family dramas recently: Christian Petzold's Miroirs No.3, Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value and Hylnur Pálmason's The Love That Remains, to just name a few.
With that in mind, Caity explores the all-but-rare family drama: The precious father-daughter relationship that we don't see much in American films nowadays. It's a beautifully written and acted, incredibly well-crafted coming of age/arrested development story that deserves your attention, in the YouTube-grown, genre-dominated American movie scene in 2026. It signals the arrival of a major new talent in American cinema, writer/director Lindsay Calleran.
For the Clark household, it's a season to put up The Clark Family Haunt, a family operated haunted house attraction in upstate New York. We have the overly hyper dad Paul (Morgan Spector) trying to set up everything with the help of his younger teenage daughter Caity (Chiara Aurelia).
With inserts of home video footage of them goofing around and cracking jokes throughout the film, you can tell that Caity adores her dad to no end. With many townsfolk hired as workers for the Halloween season, it's an yearly tradition that Paul takes very seriously with his child-like glee.
While preparation is underway, we see brief glimpses of fractures appearing in the Clarks; mom (Emily Shaffer) tries to put on a sunny disposition, but there is a shade of sadness and tiredness in her expressions. Dana (Olivia Rouyre), Caity's older sister, who works as a waitress in a local restaurant, doesn't want anything to do with the haunted house business; either she grew out of it, or some past experiences irked her. There's chatter about AA meetings that Paul might be skipping.
Caity finds a hidden bottle of vodka in Paul's workshed, but decides to not say anything. She is either in denial that her dad isn't a perfect man, or is not taking his drinking problem seriously or trying to protect him; maybe all of the above.
At 16, Caity is still in a fuck-around-and-find out stage. There is definitely a willing hesitation in Caity not to grow up too fast. She hangs out with her best friend Petey (Michelle Mao), smoking weed, talking about boys and getting drugs from a local drug dealer. She flirts with Hannah (Jordan Hull) and the handsome twins Liam and Sean (played by Jonah and Christian Lees), who are all new recruits for the season. They hook up, play around at the job, and work under the influence, including drinking from dad's stashed bottle.
The Clark Family Haunt features some very innovative scares with laser beams and other gadgets, as well as traditional gothic settings where Caity and others act out in various parts and scenarios. It's a fun working environment for the most part.
Then there's the work behind the scenes; dealing with people's egos- their less than perfect work ethics, the payroll, and the rehearsals. One day, they find Paul locked in his office unconscious, overdosed on something. Things boil over in the Clark household. The season's not over yet, and now Caity is in charge of running the show while Paul checks into rehab.
When we love someone unconditionally, we overlook their imperfections, even though other people warn you about those bad traits in the ones you love. You defend them vehemently until you face the fact first-hand and can't ignore the grim reality anymore. Caity not only learns to accept Paul's problems, but gets to experience how easy it is to fall for the same addiction. She gets to share a deeper understanding of his afflictions.
Caity is a tender, funny and affecting film anchored by Chiara Aurelia, in her stellar lead performance. Her display of a deep emotional range is well beyond her years. She destined to be a major star.
The strong supporting cast includes Zach Cherry (from the Fallout series), Mao, Hull, West Liang (concerned local sherriff) and Shaffer. Calleran's script shines in its authenticity and honesty, dealing with arrested development issues and finding one's identity growing up. The brisk, effective, rhythmic editing by Joe Stankus also stands out, as does Jack Davis' natural camera work. I also loved the super imposition of closeups within the frame and split screen being favored over standard coverages for reaction shots and subtle emotional states.
In these trying times as the world is burning, it makes sense that many great artists put their focus inwards and rely on the family for comfort and strength. Caity exemplifies the need for the comfort and healing that a family provides when things are getting bleaker everyday in a chaotic world we are living in.
Caity enjoyed its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival tonight, and screens again June 8, June 11, and June 12. Pleae check Tribeca 2026 website for more info.
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