Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Matt Ryder is convinced to drive his estranged and dying father Benjamin Ryder cross country to deliver four old rolls of Kodachrome film to the last lab in the world that can develop them before it shuts down for good. Along with Ben's nurse Zooey, the three navigate a world changing from analogue to digital while trying to put the past behind them.
Kodachrome is a warmly performed road-trip drama with a solid emotional throughline — the estranged father-son reconciliation anchored by Ed Harris and Jason Sudeikis works well enough, and the ticking-clock Kodachrome lab conceit is a charming metaphor for analog vs. digital nostalgia. However, the plot follows a very familiar template (dying parent, grudging child, road trip catharsis) without subverting expectations, keeping Novelty low. The cinematography is competent but unremarkable for the genre. Acting is the strongest suit — Harris brings genuine gravitas — though Sudeikis and Kazan don't stretch far beyond their comfort zones. The ending is emotionally satisfying if somewhat predictable, landing on the right note without surprising anyone.