Joey Magidson
There’s a thematic consistency to the work of Drake Doremus. Whether it’s his breakthrough Like Crazy, his follow up Breathe In, or his later work like Equals, Newness, and so on, he explores love and romance with dramatic heft. The weight of falling in love, as well as what loving takes, has been a consistent through line. Now, Doremus is back with Next Life, a small romantic drama with a Sliding Doors style plot device that gives it a slightly different sheen than his prior films. It won’t make you forget the best of Doremus, but playing at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, he’s put forward a nice little movie.
Next Life doesn’t do anything particularly new with the diverging timeline mechanism, to be fair, but the flick gives you a leading lady worth following, as well as a deeply beating heart at its core. Doremus can do this sort of thing in his sleep, admittedly, but even still, he proves that he’s very much the right filmmaker for something of this ilk.
When Ivy (Emilia Clarke) boards a train while rushing to get to her goddaughter’s christening, she spills her coffee on handsome stranger Diego (Édgar Ramírez). He’s a jazz musician with adventure in his heart, and without expecting it, she sparks a romance neither of them planned for. That small act would change their lives forever. Well, that is, if she actually did spill her coffee. What if she didn’t? Would things be different?
In that alternate timeline, Ivy goes to the christening alone Diego isn’t in the picture at all. Instead, she ends up reconnecting with her former fiancé Noah (Jack Farthing), her former boss in corporate life. Ivy always considered him the love of her life, or at least, she always thought he was. In seeing both lives play out, we’re left to wonder which version gives Ivy the life and love she wants, and if she even had the choice, which man would she actually choose?
Emilia Clarke is best in show here, investing you in Ivy’s story. You want what’s best with her, even if not all audience members will agree on who she should be with. Jack Farthing is solid in a role that easily could end up far too dry, while Edgar Ramírez is charming as all hell. Clarke has chemistry with both of them, though it’s different with each, as it should be. The rest of the cast includes Molly Gromadzki, Femi Koleoso, Laurent C. Lucas, Manuela Mora, and more, but it’s Clarke, Farthing, and Ramírez that you care about.
Writer/director Drake Doremus doesn’t shy away from showcasing which timeline his own heart is gravitating towards, but even so, both sides are given their due. His directing has evolved throughout his career, so even though he may never reach the overall heights of Like Crazy, the visuals here and overall tone are different enough in each timeline that you never feel the repetition. Now, things go on a bit long, but his writing continues to be soulful and earnest. Recent work like Endings, Beginnings and Zoe haven’t necessarily connected, but Next Life has a chance to.
Next Life is charming and emotional, though a bit on the serious side for anyone hoping there’s some of the light comedy of Sliding Doors. This is a different beast, with plenty of good music, courtesy of composer Dan Romer, and an earnestness that’s distinctly Doremus. Whether that works for you or not remains to be seen, but for yours truly, it did. This is exactly what Tribeca often showcases, and I mean that as a compliment.
SCORE: ★★★
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