Watching Mr. Pearson (2026)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Imagine having such an impact on someone’s life that you unknowingly play a role in the trajectory of their entire being. 

Watching Mr. Pearson follows the titular Mr. Pearson (Hugo Armstrong), a former actor struggling with understanding reality. As he and his caretakers navigate his new reality, they quickly realize that revisiting the past may be the best way to keep him sane and in good health. 

A heartbreaking narrative, Watching Mr. Pearson peers in the life of someone who believes he’s made a difference in the world, and given his current mental state is incapable of separating his past from his present. To be trapped in the past, unable to decipher the difference between various times in your life is a hell that I can’t imagine anyone is able to come to terms with. Watching Mr. Pearson, resting heavily on the shoulders of Armstrong, conveys this sentiment with aplomb and great conviction. Armstrong is stoic in his performance, taking charge in each and every scene in which he’s present. He’s a powerful presence that demands attention—and he does this with a simplicity that allows the character not to become overbearing. 

With Watching Mr. Pearson being character forward, it relies almost entirely on the performances of the three most important actors in the film: Armstrong, Dominika Zawada (Caroline), and Luis Rizo (Miguel). Unfortunately, there are times in which the acting falls flat and fails to express the intended emotion(s). Pointing fingers isn’t always fun, but the fact of the matter is that Rizo sometimes brings the film down, causing Watching Mr. Pearson to lose some of its emotional gusto along the way. The others certainly carry their weight, but in the moments where they have to carry the load for two, it can sometimes be too much to bear. 

Watching Mr. Pearson plays out in nonlinear fashion, bouncing back and forth between the past and the present. Viewers are pulled between the days of Mr. Pearson as an actor and the present day when he struggles to know the difference. The time jumps often occur abruptly, giving viewers little notice about what is about to happen next, and I feel that the intentional lack of fluidity in these moments is a compelling representation of Mr. Pearson’s mental state throughout the course of Watching Mr. Pearson. 

There really aren’t many issues that befall Watching Mr. Pearson, though the acting is a pretty big strike against it. My other issue with the film is the inclusion of other, unnecessary storylines that do nothing but hinder the overall production. 

In short, there may be a bit too many political subtleties injected into the narrative, however, Writer-Directors Dillon Bentlage and Simon Kienitz Kincade do a good job of not being overbearing in this regard or ostracizing particular groups of viewers. 

Overall, Watching Mr. Pearson is a heartfelt drama that puts a unique spin on the human experience, while remaining accessible and honest throughout. The film is emotionally relevant and continues to provide opportunities for viewers to form connections between themselves and the content of the narrative. Watching Mr. Pearson is sometimes hindered by subpar performances and subtle, yet unnecessary, tertiary storylines—but it ultimately remains present in what it sets out to achieve, and it’s a particularly interesting story from start to finish, regardless of its minor shortcomings. 

Directed by Dillon Bentlage. 

Written by Dillon Bentlage & Simon Kienitz Kincade. 

Starring Hugo Armstrong, Dominika Zawada, Luis Rizo, Sam Bullington, Zainab Jah, etc. 

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING