“She Dances” Wears Heart on Its Sleeve

She Dances (Rick Gomez, 2025) 3½ out of 5 Stars

A passing glance at the trailer for She Dances and it’s clear that this is a grief story; one that focuses on the avoidance and prolonged aftermath of loss. Through a combination of road-trip hijinks, side quests, competition, and lots and lots of dancing, this is, indeed, a story exploring the necessity of truth in healing, even though it hurts.

The film opens with Jason (Steve Zahn, Uncle Frank) alongside best friend Brian (Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone) on the precipice of selling their co-owned distillery, Two Jacks, named after their sons. The first indication of off-camera tragedy comes when a passing acquaintance tells Jason that she is “so sorry,” and his reaction indicates that Jason is well-entrenched in the understandable routine of acknowledging the loss, then moving on. That will be tough to do, however, when he receives a call from his, presumably, ex-wife, Deb (Rosemarie Dewitt, Smile 2), asking for a favor.

She’s been called away unexpectedly, just when their teenage daughter Claire (Audrey Zahn, in her feature debut), is poised to compete in the Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Final and Claire must have a parental guardian. Father and daughter have spent little to no time together since Jack’s passing. Jason is both a last resort and the obvious solution. He reluctantly agrees to pinch hit, despite initial effort to wriggle out of it.

So, alongside Claire and her best friend Kat (Mackenzie Ziegler, Let Us In) competing together in the competition, the trip commences. Kat serves as quasi-mediator between father and daughter at first, but as the journey goes on, the tension slowly eases. The competition heats up, Claire gets glimpses into other fathers’ varying treatment of their kids, which casts Jason’s support, however faltering, in a new, more favorable light. Meanwhile, Jason rediscovers his daughter’s talent and showing up for her becomes less forced and more natural. The dance sequences take up a small amount of screen time, comparatively, but when they play out, they command attention in the best way.

The downsides are that the film’s humor often lands a little flat and the obstacles feel a tad contrived here and there. Jason is repeatedly saved by what some might consider conveniences, including a welcome but far too brief appearance by longtime family friend Jamie (Sonequa Martin-Green, My Dead Friend Zoe). Amongst the personality clashes and awkward situational disasters, there are also moments of joy and genuine connection between the characters. Claire doesn’t have a lifelong grudge against her dad, she’s just hurting. Neither she nor Jason can bear the weight; certainly not alone. Grief itself haunts the film like a ticking clock, though how and under what circumstances it will go off is tough to guess, despite the predictable set-up.

The film feels tremendously personal, though that could be just the effect of the script, co-written by Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez. Making his feature debut, Gomez also directs this film, utilizing a split-screen technique that serves a satisfying bookend to the characters’ journeys back to one another. There’s nothing terribly groundbreaking here, but the sincerity and heartfelt nature of the story are poignant in their own right, especially for any audience members who have lost a loved one. Bring tissues, as She Dances may make you misty-eyed more than once.

Robin C. Farrell

Robin C. Farrell is a video editor, videographer, author, podcaster, and nerd. She has earned editing and writing awards from the Tellys, TIVA-DC Peer Awards, and film festivals, self-published her first book, Resistance Rising, and is an editor and writer for Star Wipe Films, annually participating in film race competitions. When she’s not working, you can find Robin playing D&D, exploring coffee shops, or dreaming up new projects.