Joey Magidson
The drive to be the best and perfect one’s craft is not just one of the hallmarks of many an artist/athlete/creative, it’s also absolute catnip for cinema. At their heights, you can get something like Black Swan or Whiplash, which becomes irresistible to the Academy as well. In the case of Act One, things aren’t on that level, but it is still a compelling psychological/psychosexual thriller that will generate a lot of conversation. Playing at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, it’s not an easy one to shake off, nor would you want to.
Act One looks at the lengths that an actress will go to become successful, which includes coming under the spell of a mentor who may not have their best interests in mind. The fact that this centers on two women, as opposed to what would often be an older man preying on a younger woman, does give it a unique sensibility. Even if the plot goes somewhat as expected, seeing who is at its core is something we haven’t seen before.
Teenager Hannah (Ella Beatty) is an aspiring actress without a whole lot else going on in her life. When the lonely high school senior doesn’t land a role in her school play, it feels like a breaking point. The teen decides to start taking classes at “Act One Studios,” an acclaimed acting school known for developing young performers. Hoping to be the next success story, she’s ready to take the next step, though that opens her up to something else entirely.
At the acting company, Hannah meets instructor Melanie (Ari Graynor), who has a magnetism about her and takes a shine to the younger woman. While Hannah has a dysfunctional family that doesn’t really believe in her, Melanie does, presenting a future acting career as a given. Of course, that seductive promise leads Hannah down a dangerous path, one where Melanie’s techniques begin to grow concerning. Pushing her, as well as others like Henry (Nate Mann) to extremes, she gets results, but at what cost?
Ella Beatty and Ari Graynor are very good here, with the former putting forth a potential star making turn, while the latter does some of her most unsettling work. Beatty presents a young woman you care about, which makes her losing control to this older woman all the more harrowing. Graynor gets to showcase the magnetic quality of her instructor, as well as the master manipulator. You’ve never seen here quite like this before. In addition to a solid Nate Mann, supporting players here include Sinclair Daniel, Tavi Gevinson, Robert Sean Leonard, and Elizabeth Reaser.
Filmmaker Sophia Takal makes Act One a slow spiral, delighting in turning the screws. It’s certainly not a fun film to watch, nor is it meant to be, but it does feel like a fun one to have made. Visually, Takal has you always unsettled, while the script never overly hammers home the gender swapped nature of the story. Instead, you just fall under the spell, much like the characters do, with the darkness just slowly enveloping you. At 104 minutes, it threatens to run a little bit long, but the movie works, so that’s only a mild complaint.
Act One is one of the more simply effective Tribeca flicks here in 2026. Takal is a veteran of the festival and is continually developing her craft, so whatever she makes next is well worth paying attention to. This is a storyteller who very much has the goods. Look for this one to potentially continue on well beyond the fest.
SCORE: ★★★
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