It’s always time for a good slice-of-life-film. They always offer a quiet glimpse into the lives of everyday folks who are simply existing. They offer an intimacy that feels real as we, the audience, simply watch these characters’ lives from afar. In Rachel Lambert’s latest feature, Carousel , she gives us a slice of life about past lovers reuniting after nearly 20 years apart. It’s a premise that promises to be more of an honest exploration of romance, love, and the possibility of a second chance. And while the framework for that kind of story is firmly in place, Carousel ultimately loses its footing as it gets tangled in its own narrative.

Noah (Chris Pine, Star Trek ) is a divorced doctor who has carefully constructed a life in Cleveland, Ohio. But when his daughter Maya (Abby Ryder Fortson, A re You There God, It’s Me Margaret ) joins the debate team, Noah unexpectedly finds himself reunited with a past love, Rebecca (Jenny Slate, Dying for Se x). This reunion forces him to confront his own choices and embrace a second chance at love.

One element of romantic comedies that can feel frustrating, beyond the normalization of unhealthy relationships, is that the genre often gets so caught up in the romance that it forgets the people at its core. Lambert pulls the focus back from the romance and puts the human experience front and centre. Watching Noah and Rebecca, brilliantly played by Pine and Slate, rekindle their relationship and look back on their lives, their choices, and the roads not taken, is refreshing. Lambert has truly crafted something here that’s rooted in authenticity, rather than spectacle.

Unfortunately, that thoughtful approach is ultimately buried by Carousel’s overstuffed narrative. Noah is saddled with a mountain of personal turmoil. He is still reeling from a recent divorce that has left him and his daughter, Maya, drowning in depression and anxiety. Furthermore, his family health clinic is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Rebecca, meanwhile, is facing her own crossroads. Her parents are aging and the looming question of full-time care hangs over her every decision. She is also professionally adrift—caught between returning to Washington D.C. as a political adviser or staying in Cleveland as a high school debate teacher. Instead of deepening the story, these plot threads feel distracting, causing the overall narrative to drift and meander.

There is a great film buried within Carousel . You can feel its heartbeat, hear the quiet passion of its central relationship, and sense the emotional weight it’s reaching for. So it’s frustrating to find that buried beneath a heap of tangled plotlines, alongside a plodding pace that does the central, more riveting storytelling a disservice.

That said, Carousel ultimately delivers the kind of slice-of-life, adult character dramas that it feels like audiences have been clamouring for more and more. Far from perfect, the film is captivating nonetheless. Anchored by Chris Pine, who gives one of the best performances of his career, and Jenny Slate, who confidently steps outside her usual typecast roles, the film’s performances are enough to keep you firmly invested and in your seat. If nothing else,  Carousel  reminds us of the power of intimate storytelling, even when the execution doesn’t fully hold together.

Carousel  screened as a part of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.