“SAM NOW is remarkable not only for its powerful subject matter and the restrained, intelligent way it examines its key players, but for how it simultaneously reaches the audience and everyone involved in the story… This is one of the year’s best films.”

“Reed Harkness has made a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime film. Filled with intimate family footage, Sam Now feels like a novel or a well-crafted drama, but it’s all too true. It’s a truly artistic documentary, which should be seen and embraced by discerning audiences in North America and abroad.”

“★★★★ (out of four) It’s the kind of film that haunts you, in the best of ways… this real-life story heads in unexpected directions, and that in watching it you will be both frustrated by imperfect human behavior and dazzled by the strength of family love. And, through the magic of cameras, it lets you watch Sam grow up: an ever-giggling little boy; a lanky teen running through a green field as if in pursuit of something elusive; a kind-eyed man gazing into his brother’s lens and trying to make the world make sense. Twenty-five years in the making, this warmhearted, generous film is a quiet masterpiece — the very specific story of one family, but one in which many of us can find our own.”

“9/10. What Harkness has done here is truly remarkable, finessing a moving and technically rich piece out of thin air. It helps that his story has mystery dropped into it from nowhere, but the big takeaway is that he is a born filmmaker with an unerring instinct for corralling the chaos of life into a good story. What emerges is a sensitive yet gripping voyage into a sort of American HEART OF DARKNESS, with a dramatic separation as its Congo. You can only admire the bravery of Harkness and his brother as they set out to find their mother dressed as a thrift store Black Panther. The story that emerges is unique and not quickly forgotten. The tale is leavened brilliantly by a soundtrack crammed with blistering punk, gutsy garage, and pensive Americana. The photography is excellent. Especially the dream-like Super 8.  The extended family is thoughtfully presented and universally great, bringing a lot of color and interesting perspectives to the riddle at the heart of their lives, and never once feeling misused.”

“There are very few projects as impactful as SAM NOW. Balancing a dynamic energy with haunting emotions, the film is a focused slice of real life that captures a truth so powerful and complex that it simply can’t be fully understood in the realm of fiction. The feature is touching in all the right ways and stands tall as one of the best films of the year.”

“4.5 stars. A haunting, yet poignant and moving film, SAM NOW is one of 2023’s best documentaries… I am struck by how gentle and affirming the film is while also grappling with difficult traumatic events.”

“The movie comes alive once the mystery appears to have been solved. What follows is a remarkably complex exploration of fractured family dynamics that calls to mind Maggie Gyllenhaal’s THE LOST DAUGHTER in its nonjudgmental gaze and naked vulnerability.”

“This quietly powerful film is a way for Harkness to reopen some of his family’s wounds, but always with the understanding that the more he pokes and digs, the longer it may take to heal.”

“SAM NOW is rarely as dark or as heavy as it sounds, since Harkness, with expert assistance from editor Jason Reid—with whom he grew up in Seattle—keeps the pace lively, mixes film stocks artfully, and fills the soundtrack with high-powered selections from local acts, like the Sonics, the Wailers, and Dead Moon… It’s one of the finest documentaries to emerge from the Pacific Northwest and one of the very best of the year.”

“Reed’s home movies of his younger sibling provide dynamic background for the film to crescendo into an emotional knock-out that takes the viewer by surprise. There’s a lot to ponder after the credits close. What begins as a deeply personal coming-of-age adventure, evolves into a macro-micro study of the generational effects of abandonment… a terrific documentary certain to stir lively discussion among its fortunate audiences. It may be a bitter pill, but this brilliant movie conveys things that only documentary Cinema can capture and express. Reed Harkness’s innate sense of editorial restraint is impressive.”

“It’s a masterful editing achievement to stitch an 80-minute family portrait from material that could so easily be precious, overlong and myopic. Instead, the film balances the constant allure of the past with the irresolvable present.”

“A heartbreaking work of staggering genius… SAM NOW is unlike any other movie I’ve ever seen… a truly remarkable piece of art that I won’t ever forget.”

“Emotionally Gut-Wrenching… This audacious and nostalgic joy ride of a film uplifts the spirits and brightens the soul… It’s almost like watching a time capsule replay your life in super-speed without pause or interruption… this film is what happens when you take some bravery, trust and hope and manifest it into the world and watch what good things can come from it. All I know is that I highly recommend this film for all to see.”

“An Award-Worthy Portrait Of Family Over 25 Years… I am obsessed with SAM NOW… positive, inquisitive and joyful the entire way through… It’s hugely compelling and incredibly conceived, created, and thought through piece decades in the making that is self-aware enough to have grown and evolved with its subjects over that entire time, even if the motivations changed over all of that time.”

“You Must See SAM NOW… I could not take my eyes off of it, reverberating as it does with a potent mix of tragedy and the relief that comes with finally getting it off your shoulders… Harkness has given us a documentary that taps into completely unexpected wells of emotion… vibrantly made and open-hearted in its delivery… It mines emotions that are too rarely seen on screen, told with honesty and empathy. ”

“What begins as a deeply personal coming-of-age adventure, evolves into a macro-micro study of the generational effects of abandonment… It may be a bitter pill, but this brilliant movie conveys things that only documentary Cinema can capture and express. Reed Harkness’s innate sense of editorial restraint is impressive.”

“SAM NOW takes on complex questions with a youthful, sometimes naïve innocence… A complex topic treated with rare tenderness.”

“A quite fascinating multi-decade journey of self-discovery.”

“Delightful is not a word you’d expect to hear describing a film about a 14-year-old boy abandoned by his otherwise loving mother. But in director Reed Harkness’ SAM NOW, the delight comes from Sam, the filmmaker’s charismatic half-brother. Harkness captures the heart of his family in good times and bad… SAM NOW is frustrating, heartfelt, and indeed, delightful.”

“With its beautiful tapestry of old and new, love and loss, the serious and the comic, fact and fiction, SAM NOW does everything it can to overcome intergenerational trauma.”

“The film that changed my life… I hate to sound dramatic but my viewing of SAM NOW felt almost supernatural. I had read about how sometimes great art can make you feel that way, how it can totally gut you, transform you, chew you up and spit you out in the best of all ways, but I had never experienced that phenomenon myself, not until that moment.”

“The film is beautifully assembled with some very creative editing and whimsical visuals, such as a matchbox car traveling on a physical map to show the brothers’ journey across the west coast. There are stimulating changes in music, film stock, color, and black and white footage. It’s a wonderful collage of styles that stretches from standard talking head interviews to sometimes resembling avant-garde visual imagery. I’m quite fond of these films which include so much footage created innocently in the past. Parts of this reminded me of the much darker but devastatingly effective 2003 film TARNATION created by Jonathan Caouette. But while that experience feels a bit more cynical, SAM NOW illustrates how moving on and forgiving can go a long way to leading a satisfying life. I found the whole experience quite inspiring.”

“As the title suggests, the film is a portrait of Sam, a young man confronting the trauma and mystery of maternal abandonment. But the portraiture extends to a great deal more… Brilliant editing of personal footage from a variety of times and sources makes SAM NOW an even more compelling movie experience.”

“From a technical standpoint alone, it’s pretty impressive: Anybody who’s ever tried to go through a quarter century of home videos and edit them together can begin to appreciate the labor that Harkness and his editors put into this… Harkness didn’t take the easy way out. There are no real heroes, no real villains, and honestly no tidy resolution. SAM NOW is messy and complicated, but also has moments of incredible beauty, just like life itself.”

“Reed Harkness is a very talented filmmaker…  SAM NOW is a documentary that although filled with warmth and love, still feels distant enough to not guide its audience’s feelings.”

“I watched the documentary Sam Now, by filmmaker Reed Harkness, and I can’t stop recommending it to people… a non-fiction Boyhood, shot from the tender, generous perspective of a loving and protective older brother. It’s a singular, thoughtful film that is well worth a watch.”

“I highly recommend watching SAM NOW. It was inspiring, eye-opening, and emotional all without ever feeling too heavy or dark. We’re often used to seeing fictional depictions of coming-of-age films, but I think this is a real coming-of-age story. And a beautiful one at that… an upbeat introspection on family dynamics, trauma, and the beauty of playing make-believe.”

“Surprisingly complex… Beginning with home movies when the brothers were kids, SAM NOW documents 25 years of family life and individual personal growth. It’s all complicated, as we might expect with multigenerational trauma. Reed Harkness’ use of music in SAM NOW is particularly strong.”

“The film shines because of its light, thoughtful and compassionate approach to its subjects… SAM NOW is a road movie, a coming-of-age, a healing journey, and a complex portrait of abandonment. It’s also a moving ode to the power of brotherhood and, in many ways, an exhibition of how a filmmaker evolves through the years.”

“A creative adventure into self-discovery that casualties in life often repeat themselves inflicting harm on the next generation.”

“SAM NOW reminds us that, while the road to healing is never a straight line, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth traveling.”

“SAM NOW depicts a beautiful journey… It really forced me to think about life and to consider some of the more serious questions that lurk in the shadows, the ones that we often refuse to face.”

“A remarkable documentary about abandonment, nurturing and creativity… The deeply moving account of the pain caused by the disappearance and the restoration of relations is made hugely entertaining by the the many short films the two brothers make to illustrate the narrative. The shorts (filmed using a variety of cameras and formats) made me think of the ones in Spielberg’s THE FABELMANS–charming and imaginative owing to their no-budget, amateur inventiveness.”

“An Inspiring Cinematic Exploration of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness… Watching this story unfold was unlike any documentary I had seen before.”

“There is no outsider’s perspective that interrupts the story unfolding in front of this family. Since DEAR ZACHARY, I have not seen a documentary where the family’s involvement in the film has done more than have them be talking heads.”

“Edited with precision, SAM NOW explores many emotional topics which include emotional child abuse and narcissism with finesse and even humour. Scenes of discomfort marry beautifully with lighthearted ones… I cannot wait to see what Director Reed Harkness will do next.”

“It traces the emotional ups and downs of this family and does it in an innovative and artistic way.”

“The way it’s edited and put together, never a dull moment… there’s a lot of levity in this as well… a beautiful film… 4.5 stars”

“The film offers an engaging and nuanced glimpse into this unique family situation, and a moving reminder of how the choices that parents make impact their kids, in a cycle that continues until someone makes the effort to stop it.”

“Days after seeing the film I am still pondering it. The film kicked up all sorts of thoughts and feelings about things in my own life that I haven’t thought of or wanted to ponder… You really should see this and see how it hits you. This is a really good film and is highly recommended.”

“It’s incredible to watch a documentary that has been a lifetime in the making… I’m really impressed by the post-production, because it would not have been easy to make a cohesive product with the wide variety of film and digital formats that had to be combined, but everything flows seamlessly… I find so often that documentaries want to push one specific angle or agenda, and try to wrap everything up in a bow whether it reflects the full truth or not. This documentary feels more authentic because it’s truly a reflection of real life: People and families are complicated and nuanced, and there’s a lot of disparate aspects that go into the dynamics that people have with their loved ones.”

“SAM NOW finds optimism in the midst of heartbreak. Despite the tear-jerking events that occur in this film, it was a heartwarming piece. It offers viewers hope for the future, despite what may have happened in the past. SAM NOW took care to ensure that its audience would leave the film with optimism for themselves and others.”

“There are lots of wonderful things about this film, and it also just says SO MUCH. It gave me many, many feels about family, abandonment, relationships, trauma, feeling trapped, needing to do whatever it takes to heal yourself and auuugggghhhh just so much other complicated life stuff. I highly recommend you check out this thought-provoking and endearing documentary!”

“A meticulous excavation of a family that’s riveting from the jump, delivering the full spectrum of emotions in a fantastically artistic, honest and satisfying package that’s hands-down one of our faves of the fest.”

“It impacted so many of my emotions and not in the way you’d expect… The people in this film go through things in a very unexpected way, they reach peace and comfort all differently. It was refreshing, enlightening. Beautifully shot too.”