A/Way explores the emotional turmoil experienced after a profound loss, and hardships that arise when people lose their sense of purpose.
Director: Derek Shane Garcia
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 67′
Festival Screenings: May 1-4, 2025 at Beyond Hollywood (LA); May 22-27 at Romford Film Festival (London)
Streaming Release: June 26, 2025
“It’s all improv: just guessing and falling flat on your face, and then guessing and falling and figuring it out.” This is one of the most powerful lines spoken in director Derek Shane Garcia’s A/Way, which encapsulates the film’s central message. Through the unfolding narrative, the story explores the complexities of processing grief, embracing the uncertainty of life’s possibilities, and making peace with the fact that no person has anything completely figured out.
After the loss of a family member, a journalist named Anna (Rosie McDonald) is tasked with visiting Martinique to interview some locals for her next project. Though our protagonist loves her line of work, she’s had no career growth in the last three years and feels her professional progress has stalled. Before her trip, she reflects on her life, wondering what direction to take next. Anna’s contemplating the unpredictability of her future and feeling somewhat lost. However, after acquiring her late loved one’s journal, she realizes that many other people experience highs and lows in life, but we must embrace the bumpy, yet exhilarating ride.
A/Way is a quiet film that focuses on the human experience through small, intimate moments and subtle storytelling. It invites the audience to feel and think through relatable themes and lived experiences. We can identify with Anna, as many of us have encountered setbacks in our careers, leading to a sense that we’re not professionally advancing as we should. Similarly, each of us has endured the profound grief of losing someone dear to us and the challenges of finding our way through the sorrow after their passing.
What makes A/Way stand out is its unfiltered, truthful depiction of human feelings and hardships, alongside McDonald’s raw and vulnerable performance. While watching the movie, viewers feel as though they’re witnessing a real person process their recent loss and navigate the grieving process. Even more understated moments when Anna is sitting by the beach reflecting on the written words of her departed loved one are impactful. Not only does the journal embody the beauty of what remains after someone has left this earth, it also reflects the unbreakable bond that remains between the living and those who have left this earth.
The decision to have all the people Anna interviews be played by non-actors also works in A/Way’s favor. It blurs the lines between fiction and reality while enhancing the realism of the story. Through these interactions, Anna discovers fascinating stories from the locals and how people’s paths in life differ greatly in fascinating ways.
While there’s much to appreciate about A/Way, after the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but feel that Anna’s connections with other characters required further development. I was eager to see certain plot points explored further, yet they felt hurried and could have benefited from more screen time. Though the film delivers a strong central message, the fleeting nature of these interactions hindered me from resonating fully with the film on an emotional level.
Even though I didn’t connect with A/Way entirely, there’s still much to appreciate about the film. Garcia shows great potential as a filmmaker, reflecting Anna’s emotional journey with remarkable effectiveness and skill. The story’s depiction of grief and life’s uncertainty is both authentic and relatable and will leave an impact on audiences, even if it doesn’t fully reach its potential.
A/Way: Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
After the loss of her loved one, Anna embarks on a work trip to Martinique, where she undergoes a journey of self-discovery.
Pros:
- A fantastic, grounded performance from Rosie McDonald.
- An honest depiction of coping with grief, and the challenges that come with finding one’s path forward.
Cons:
- Anna’s interactions with some characters aren’t fully fleshed out, which makes it difficult to connect with certain plot points emotionally.
- Some of the story feels rushed, and the film could have benefited from a slightly longer runtime.
A/Way had its World Premiere in June 2025 at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival in NY, where it won the awards for Best Narrative Feature Film, Performance and Director. The film will be screened at Beyond Hollywood (LA) on May 1-4, 2025 and at the Romford Film Festival (London) on May 22-27, ahead of its streaming release on June 26 on Amazon, Apple, Google, and Fandango.
