Tribeca Festival Review: ‘Tow’ is a Big Hearted True Story Anchored By Rose Byrne

True life dramas often have a lot of goodwill in their favor when telling these stories. The one thing a film like Tow has to avoid? They can’t make these tales of tragedy and triumph into poverty porn. If the movie appears to be wallowing, it can seem hollow. Luckily, this flick has such a big heart and positive attentions that it never gets to that point. Playing at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, it’s somewhat middle of the road for the fest, but still well worth checking out.

Tow is mildly inspirational, to be sure, and has a very strong central performance at its core. Have you seen almost everything depicted in the film before? Sure. Will it matter too much to you if you end up engaging with the picture? Not in the slightest. So, if/when you connect with the material, you’re in for a fulfilling ride.

This is the true story of Amanda Ogle (Rose Byrne), a Seattle woman living in her car after falling on hard times. Unhoused, she spends her days and nights in her blue 1991 Toyota Corolla. Looking for work in order to have the money to visit her daughter, things take a turn for the worst while applying for a job at a dog groomer. Amanda’s car is stolen and later impounded, with the company, fronted by a sympathetic worker (Simon Rex), needing money she doesn’t have to get it back. Without the car, she’s now homeless, can’t start her new job, and is losing hope.

Eventually finding space in a shelter, Amanda sets her sights on fighting the tow company. Teamed up with a young lawyer (Dominic Sessa), she goes after them. Ultimately, after receiving an updated tow bill for $21,634, she heads to court, with the sole goes in mind of getting that old car back into her possession.

Rose Byrne is very good here. She leans into the vibrancy of Amanda while never shying away from her flaws. It’s the most well developed character in the film, obviously, and she does quite strong work from start to finish. Dominic Sessa impresses again, showing that The Holdovers was no fluke. Simon Rex doesn’t have a ton to do, though it’s nice to see him bring a kindness to the role. Supporting players here include Corbin Bernsen, Ariana DeBose, Demi Lovato, Octavia Spencer, and more.

Director Stephanie Laing continues her relationship with Byrne here, giving her a star vehicle. Laing’s direction is very effective, though on the no-frills side of things. The focus is on Byrne, which goes back to the screenplay level, credited to Brant Boivin and Jonathan Keasey. They needed the right actress to make the story pop, and they do, so it ultimately winds up being successful. This allows them to inject more humor than most other stories like this one, giving it a lighter tone overall.

Tow has enough going for it from Rose Byrne’s performance in order to work. You need to keep your expectations in check, as it’s not an awards vehicle (no pun intended), but it’s a solid little drama with humorous elements. As long as that’s good enough for you, this Tribeca title should prove to be satisfying.

SCORE: ★★★