Olive (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.  

While taking care of his grandmother, Sam (Tom Koch) soon learns that their relationship is more difficult than he initially understood it to be. As he navigates this new and unfamiliar place in his life, this once grounded individual will face hardship like never before. 

Olive takes viewers on a journey of discovery. Viewers typically experience an emotionally riveting and powerfully optimistic journey in films of this nature, and as characters grow in these films there is a reminder of the happiness that is embedded in the very fibers of this world, of the lives that we lead and become intertwined with everyone else’s. Olive takes a different approach, presenting viewers with quite the opposite take on the world. Rather, Writer-Director Koch chooses to take viewers down a road of pain and suffering, one that reminds viewers of the hardships that we will inevitably face throughout life. It’s brutally honest, and rarely do films express this sentiment to viewers–and the honesty present in Olive is nearly perfect. 

Olive is a haunting visual representation of the horrid turn that many, afflicted by dementia, take–and the toll that it takes on those around them. Again, Koch and his team are honest, unwavering and unapologetic in their quest toward presenting something accessible, true, and genuine. 

Magical realism plays a pivotal role in developing Olive and of allowing it not only to resonate with viewers, but to develop at an appropriate rate, introducing and re-introducing characters in a way that makes sense and allows the film to flow fluidly. Past, present, and future come into play, almost folding on top of one another and presenting viewers with something that could ultimately become convoluted and twisted. The use of magical realism eases the level of difficulty present within Olive and, again, presents the film in a much more fluid and accessible way. 

With that being said, the editing also plays a significant role in Olive being able to reach viewers and for Koch’s film to come to life in a grounded, yet fantastical way. Editor Hillary Carrigan does a spectacular job of transporting viewers from time to time and place to place in a way that feels both simple and extraordinary, keeping viewers present in the moment, while allowing them the ability to look both forward and backward to analyze the immense depth of the film. 

Furthermore, Koch’s dialogue acts as a window into the world of Sam and his family, foreshadowing significant moments in the future of the film, reminding viewers of what has occurred in the past, and ultimately strengthening the connection between viewers and the characters on screen. Olive is dark, disturbing, a challenging film to digest as it represents so many people in the world around us–and the dialogue is a simple, yet profound opportunity to better understand Olive and all that it means. 

Olive is a film that extends itself far beyond what’s expected, deep into the dark cosmos of the human brain, human emotion, and the relationships we form throughout our lives. The film is incredibly subtle in its presentation, offering viewers information meant to be dissected and analyzed, all ultimately leading us to the film’s conclusion. Olive trusts its viewers to understand its meaning, and its intellectual storytelling is intriguing and something of a breath of fresh air. 

Written & Directed by Tom Koch. 

Starring Lesley Ann Warren, Tom Koch, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeffrey Farber, etc. 

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING