Directors' Commentary (2026)

-Written by Michelle Vorob.

When I was first asked to review Directors’ Commentary, I thought, “Commentary on what”? I went into it thinking I was going to be watching, well, a director's commentary. Turns out Directors’ Commentary is a feature length comedy, written and directed by Joel David Santner.

Santner pays homage to two beloved 90s Indie directors, one iconic director, comedies, and filmmaking itself by framing Directors’ Commentary as a young filmmaker's journey of making a movie and getting it produced, all while trying to also navigate his love life. 

Ryan (Nicky Romaniello) is floundering in his marriage and Hollywood, consumed by trying to get his film produced. Now, right from the start, there was humorous, natural banter and references to other films.

In one of the first scenes, I caught a reference to one of the most iconic lines from a John Hughes film. Romaniello was hilarious in the scene. Why did it put me off a bit when the entirety of the film was an ode to modern filmmaking? Maybe I'm stuck on the idea of someone seeing it and not knowing the reference, but the whole of Directors’ Commentary is filled with references to other films.

The bulk of Directors’ Commentary was an homage to directors Kevin Smith and Edward Burns, complete with both showing up to spend a day with Ryan, by popping out of their directors’ commentary and into Ryan's life. No one else can see or hear them but Ryan. Smith (Steve N. Bradford) and Burns (Santner) impart their wisdom and friendship to help guide Ryan through completion of his script and finding a producer. Some wacky hijinks ensue. Some entertaining and heartfelt situations occur. 

The downfall of Directors’ Commentary was too much time being spent focusing on the two fake directors' visits, like some kind of loose comparison to Scrooge's midnight ghost visits in A Christmas Carol. The third fake director finally shows up and it's George Lucas (Daniel Flint), but he's just a quick pop in. 

Meanwhile, one hour into this almost ninety minute comedy, I'm blown away by a great, honest, dramatic moment between Ryan and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jenny (Christina Yr. Lim). It was all worth getting to that moment. Interestingly, after that point, the story felt stronger, more cohesive. Everything came together at the end. Ryan's film was produced. He started a new relationship. They made me smile. It's obvious a lot of heart and effort was put into this by the cast and crew. The dialogue and chemistry was far better than many other low-budget productions. Perhaps every element was intentional and played out exactly as Santner intended. You can watch Directors’ Commentary and decide for yourself.

Written & Directed by Joel David Santner. 

Starring Nicky Romaniello, Steve N. Bradford, Daniel Flint, Leigh Anna Fry, Jules Horowitz, Christina Yr. Lim, Josh McLane, Mark Moore, Joel David Santner, Olivia Spirz, & Stephanie Turek. 

7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE