Discover your home in the heartfelt drama The Short History of the Long Road

There are two types of people in road trip movies – those who are running to something, and those who are running away from something. The Short History of the Long Road, the upcoming sophomore feature from writer/director Ani Simon-Kennedy (Days of Grey), looks like it has a bit of both.

Sabrina Carpenter (Horns) stars as a young girl living with her father (Steven Ogg – The Walking Dead, and the voice of Trevor in GTA 5) in a small motorhome, travelling across the US while doing odd jobs to make ends meet, and calling no place home. But this freedom is cut short when she’s suddenly separated from her father and the motorhome breaks down as she’s on her way to find a mother she’s never met. While looking to repair her motorhome so she can continue her journey she meets an old mechanic (Danny Trejo – Machete) who takes her in, but as the mismatched pair begin to bond she also starts to consider the possibility of putting down some roots of her own.

The official plot synopsis is as follows:

For teenage Nola (Sabrina Carpenter), home is the open road. Her self-reliant father (Steven Ogg) is her anchor in a life of transience. The pair crisscross the United States in a lovingly refurbished RV, relishing their independence and making ends meet by doing odd jobs. A shocking rupture, though, casts Nola out on her own. She makes her way to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in search of a mother she never knew. When her motorhome unexpectedly breaks down, she forges a bond with an auto body shop owner (Danny Trejo), and senses the possibility of mooring her ship in this storm.

Let’s take a look:

This looks like a very simple, sweet movie with none of the pervasive cynicism that informs so much of the world these days – not being ashamed to tell a heartfelt story makes it seem like a welcome breath of fresh air. The movie has a very minimalist feel to it, which means it’s up to the actors to carry the story, and they definitely appear up to the task.

What do you think?

The Short History of the Long Road is due for release in the US on 12 June, and will be available via on-demand and digital on 16 June. It also stars Maggie Siff, Jashaun St. John, and Rusty Schwimmer.

Last Updated: June 3, 2020