Potato Dreams of America

Wild coming of age movie. Jonathan Bennett as Jesus is hysterical my

It's important to remember that the story is autobiographical. While the writing and presentation feel crude, the film has a lot of heart and humor. The leads' performances are solid and engaging.

What a nice surprise. Quality filmmaking. very good script. Interesting, compelling story. the tone was unique and wonderfully consistent throughout. Nearly a Wes Anderson look to it - nicely framed colorful scenes. (I did connect to this story better than Wes Anderson movies- they are not the same just some similarities). This guy is a good filmmaker. Great decisions made.

I pretty much loved this movie. It's a bit rough in the execution, but at its core it's a wonderful story. It's not horse-snort funny but it's way funny enough. I presume it's fairly true, so I don't think it can be criticized for implausibility. Both Young Potato, and American Potato are good actors, but American Potato (Tyler Bocock) really has something about him. I hope he makes more features.

I am no critic, and signed up to write this concise review: I loved it. No, I adored it! It is genius! Unique. Magnificent story. Extraordinary directorial and editorial skills. If Wes Hurley's mum is like that: she is an angel fallen from the sky. Truly. I am blown away by the acting, too. Maybe not so concise in the end, but I am in disbelief at how great this movie is. Jesus Christ! Beautiful.

Stylized, but clunky, there are moments, but wow is this a mixed bag. For me, this is a gimmicky film with a Russian and American element used for humor in that 80s Yakov Smirnoff. It is at times amusing, but like Smirnoff, it would be best in a super small dose and not a feature film. Wes Hurley's life is pretty batshit crazy, but the film isn't. Final Score: 6/10

Saw this last year (?) at the San Diego gay film festival..., I definitely enjoyed it.

Singular coming of age story all based on real life. My favorite film at 2021 SXSW. The film follows a mother and son who immigrate from Russia to the US in the 90's. Despite all the darkness and disappointments in their lives, the film is extremely funny. But what makes it a true indie standout is how playfully it injects experimental elements into its narrative. From its unusual casting choices and the way the Russia is portrayed to clever tonal shifts and almost Brechtian refusal to confirm to audience's expectations - "Potato Dreams of America" makes me very excited to see what writer/director Wes Hurley does next.

Really unique and funny movie. Based on a true story with a huge twist at the end. Highly recommend! The cast is really really great!

Interesting take on transition from ZSRR to USA in the 80s. Narratively and visually inspired by Wes Anderson (yeah I know it feels cheap to bring Wes up just bc characters are directly facing the screen most of the time but well its just there) and Greg Arraki (and directly refferencing his Nowhere), feels like a theatre play at times with the dialogue timing and acting. Its a good experiment with some interesting twists with standout performance from Sera Barbieri as young version of Potatoe's mother. However, the ending doesnt have the emotional resonance it tries to convey (and embracing the russian identity through sex - seriously? after all that sh*t You and your mother went through?). In the end, the only things I remember from this movie is how good and focus is the ZRSS part (and mothers performance) and then thought "why he never hooked up with the video store guy or have i just missed it?".