(Stephanie Laing, US 2026, 105 min., DCP)
Octavia Spencer’s latest film is this true-to-life story of struggle against the system. Amanda Ogle (Rose Byrne) lives hand-to-mouth in Seattle, sleeping at shelters while trying to get a job as a veterinarian technician. The shelters fill up and Amanda is forced to become a “vehicle resident” in her sole worthwhile possession, a 1991 Toyota Camry. Just as Amanda finds a job that requires a car, the Camry is stolen. While the car is retrieved, the towing company requires her to pay $200 to release it. As Amanda fights a year-long battle to get her car back, and the amount she owes continues to grow, she is forced to come to terms with being unhoused, her addictions, and being separated from her daughter in Utah. Spencer plays Barb, the no-nonsense manager for a shelter for women that befriends Amanda and guides her through her journey.