'Their Town' Review: Filled With Heart, Humour and Notable Filmmaking
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
By Becca Johnson - April 3, 2026
Premiering at SXSW back in March to positive reviews, Their Town is a coming-of-age drama centring on a new found friendship between an unlikely pair of teens. A true family affair, Their Town is penned by Mark Duplass (The Creep Tapes), produced by Mark and his brother Jay Duplass (Baghead), directed by Mark’s wife Katie Aselton (Black Rock) and stars their daughter Ora Duplass in the leading role. Ora plays Abby, a teenager whose boyfriend unexpectedly drops out of the high school play. She is left no choice but to help outlier Matt (Chosen Jacobs) step into the role opposite her, the pair wandering their small town whilst examining their futures and unearthing surprises from their past. A sweet, tender drama that shows how the most simple films can have the biggest impact, Their Town boasts excellent performances and an engaging script.
Set over just one night, Their Town is a movie built on conversations. Throughout the majority of the run-time, Abby and Matt are centre stage, finding out about each other whilst rehearsing their lines for the school play. A very genuine, easy friendship is formed between the pair, and due to the excellent chemistry and performances by our two leads, their bond is instantly likeable. Ora Duplass’ Abby is not all that she seems. She may be dating the most popular guy in school, have loads of girl friends and be insanely pretty, but she knows it’s all surface level. Her relationship with her boyfriend is tumultuous, and her Mum doesn’t understand her experiences. Confiding in Matt due to his understanding and non-judgement, Duplass does such a good job of portraying the emotional vulnerability needed to believably pour your heart out. She has a very naturalistic way of showing how comfortable she is around Matt, as opposed to others in her life. She definitely has potential. Chosen Jacobs (It) is a real breath of fresh air as Matt. Largely spending time alone due to absent but loving parents and also being misunderstood due to his quiet nature, he’s a kind soul despite his troubled past. The pair work well both separately and together, selling us their budding friendship with ease. There are also some small but strong supporting turns from Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) and Jeffery Self (The Drop).
Dialogue-driven movies have a tricky task of keeping their audience invested solely with words alone, and this script from Mark Duplass handles this effortlessly. From deep dives into past relationships, school exclusions and upbringings to realising they may have more familiarity than they were first aware of, Their Town works well because these conversations feel so real. Even the dramatic outbursts that occasionally occur when the pair rub each other the wrong way feel eerily accurate to how real-life arguments can come out of nowhere. There’s equal amounts of charm and humour with drama and tension, creating a well-rounded viewing experience that’ll have you flitting between swooning, laughing and potentially even crying by the end. The words flow elegantly and authentically between the pair, leading you to often forget you’re even watching a fictional movie. One element that movies of this ilk often get wrong is the lingo and dialect teenagers deliver, but this one gets it spot on. Matt and Abby sound like real teens, making them even more relatable to those who remember those years. Pairing strong performances with conversations that are both engaging and authentic, the Duplass team create a winning formula. It feels akin to watching a modern, teenage version of Linklater’s ‘Before Sunrise’, and the swift run-time doesn’t hurt, either.
Their Town doesn’t necessarily get anything wrong, it just isn’t a viewing experience for everyone. Simplistic in its location, premise and cast, those looking for something a little more thrilling won’t find what they’re looking for here. Furthermore, for a movie titled ‘Their Town’, there is very little focus on their surroundings. Sure, we’re following the pair as they wander around local streets, eateries and parks, but due to the film taking place in the evening, we can’t see and absorb much of it. There’s a couple of conversations in which these localities are the focus, but it’s more about the pairs life experiences and relationships than about the areas that surround them. It certainly nails that small town vibe, but doesn’t offer much discourse in terms of environment. The backdrop is charming, but it doesn’t go much further than that. Through lack of development, the titular ‘town’ doesn’t quite become a character of its own.
Those that enjoy dialogue-driven hang-out movies will hopefully find a lot to like within Their Town. Matt and Abby are likeable and backed by strong performances from Duplass and Jacobs, their conversations are meaningful and relatable, and the bond that blooms between the pair is incredibly easy to root for. What it lacks in thrills and typical entertainment value, it makes up for with heart, humour and notable filmmaking. Their Town is an indie triumph that deserves a wider audience than it’ll likely receive.
'Their Town' premiered at SXSW on March 14, 2026.
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