“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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. ”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“A quite fascinating multi-decade journey of self-discovery.”
“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.”
“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.”
“SAM NOW takes on complex questions with a youthful, sometimes naïve innocence… A complex topic treated with rare tenderness.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”
