Just when you think you’re out, Tribeca pulls you right back in. With one final hanging review, the travel Companion is the kind of film festivals were born to showcase. These directors are not well known, the cast has limited credits to their name, and yet, this is one of those human condition movies carefully disguised as a comedy/drama. Like most films seeking distribution, this doesn’t have an audio description track, so my ability to nail down a firm grade on a narrative feature drifted away. I remain optimistic a strong distributor will back this, and describe it.

Basically, Simon is a struggling filmmaker trying to get through his thesis project, but mostly is defined by his experiences as a world traveler, for free, courtesy of being labeled his best friend’s “travel companion”, which allows him to wait in standby, and if a seat is open, he can fill it. All of that gets upended when his friend starts dating this more assured filmmaker, and suddenly his free ticket, and perhaps his friendship is in jeopardy.

As a bit more older and wiser person, I see this totally realistic story. I think a lot of people in their late 20’s and early 30’s, who likely just went through this, will eat this up. We all meet people when we’re young, and as we grow up, we get different jobs, move in different directions, and slowly pull apart. i had one long term friend because our parents were friends, but he’s passed. otherwise, I haven’t talked to anyone from my childhood, and only a handful of people I graduated high school with, only because of Facebook. When I struck out on my own, I had several roommates, but they’ve all drifted off to their own things. I still follow one on social media, but we haven’t talked in years. there was no grand break up, or fight, it was just the natural progression of who we are as people, and adulting. So, I see this film, about Simon trying to cling onto this last vestige of his college years, and I relate. It is a relationship based on who they were, and not who they are, and Simon needs this film in order to figure that out.

This will mean something to a lot of people, so even though I couldn’t enjoy this with accessibility, Iwould recommend it to my sighted readers. I’d also really recommend it to those who are just getting into that perfect early adulthood, and likely you don’t have the same friend circle as ten years prior. Some people do keep a few friends for life, but you never keep all of them. Even with social media, we just change so much throughout our lives, that the memories of who we were and what people meant to us, are all that remains. I hope this gets proper distribution, and doesn’t die lost in the Tubi algorithm.

Fresh: Final Grade: 6.1/10