Audrey (2025) Review & Summary

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Audrey Film Details

• Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 37 Minutes
• Released On: Video On Demand (Public Release Date: April 1, 2025)
• Director(s): Natalie Bailey
• Writer(s): Lou Sanz
• Genre(s): Comedy, Young Adult
• Rating: Not Rated
• Distributor: Sunrise Films

Summary

For all of Ronnie’s life, she wanted to be the kind of actress who called herself “An Artist.” But marriage, a mortgage, and kids slowed her down to the point that she feels her career has stagnated. Going by her eldest, the title character Audrey, what killed her mom’s career wasn’t getting married to her father, Cormack, or even her little sister, Norah, having cerebral palsy; it was just Ronnie not being talented.

However, when something horrible happens to Audrey, Ronnie comes to learn, perhaps the thing that has truly gotten in the way of not only her happiness but Norah’s, maybe even Cormack’s, was Audrey, and learning that changes everything.

Cast and Characters

Ronnie (Jackie van Beek)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]

• Character Summary: Ronnie, almost 20 years ago, was slowly but surely building up a career, and even won an award for one of her performances. Flash forward to the present and while she does have an acting school, her own career is limited, as is her network, and nearly every facet of her life is either a disappointment, a struggle, or has her trying to live through her eldest, Audrey, for some sense of what she was so close to obtaining.

Audrey (Josephine Blazier)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: Popular, self-absorbed by design, Audrey has a lot of privilege, despite coming from a middle-class family, and she isn’t shy about it. Which makes her the bane of her family’s existence, since it seems she has somehow taken all their luck from them, no matter how they try to manifest something for themselves.

Cormack (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: Cormack is Ronnie’s awkward husband, father to her two children, who seems unsatisfied with life, perhaps more than Ronnie, but while for her it is because she isn’t where she wants to be professionally, his seems to be more personal. Be it sexual or his relationships, something isn’t fulfilling him, but like Ronnie, he isn’t at the point of giving up and permanently settling.

Norah (Hannah Diviney)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: Quick with her wit and longing to take up fencing and eventually go to the Paralympics, Norah has faced being second fiddle to Audrey for most of her life.

Why Is Audrey Not Rated?

• Dialog:
  • Cursing: Occasional
  • Discriminatory Language: Yes
  • Innuendo: Implied
  • Suicide Mentions: Yes
• Violence:
  • Gun Violence: None
  • Violence Against Animals: No
  • Violence Against Children: Yes
  • Domestic Violence: No
  • Gore/ Blood: Light
  • Body Horror: No
  • Notable Violence: None
• Sexual Content:
  • Nudity: Moderate (Backside/Chest)
  • Sexual Situations: Implied
  • Sexual Violence: No
• Miscellaneous:
  • Drinking: Yes
  • Drug Use:  Digested
  • Vomiting: Yes
  • Smoking: No

Links

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• Official Site Link

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Ronnie [82/100]

When it comes to Ronnie, after all is said and done with Audrey, I find myself thinking about Black Swan, with Natalie Portman, minus notable visual effects being involved. The comparison mainly comes from Ronnie taking over her daughter’s life, as shown in the trailer, the madness that comes soon after, and the exclamation point the film ends with.

To avoid spoiling it, watching Ronnie go from a has-been, or barely was, to rock bottom, getting a taste of validation, and seeing her claw with desperation to solidify that? Never mind, as selfish as Ronnie could seem, you come to realize, when she isn’t trying to vicariously live through Audrey, she can be a good mom, a good wife, it’s just being unsatisfied as an individual, separate from all the titles which comes with having a family, was gnawing at her.

Taking that into account, as much as Audrey is a comedy, maybe even dramedy, the nightmare scenario Ronnie goes through when it comes to marriage and kids, and losing your life, goals, maybe even purpose, in service to others, damn near makes it feel like a grounded horror.

Norah’s Storyline [83/100]

While Norah is a supporting character, enough is done with her to draw you in and make you fall for her a bit. She lives in Audrey’s shadow because of her mother’s investment, and while Norah benefits from Audrey’s existence to a point, she can’t truly be happy. So, watching the switch when something happens to Audrey, as Ronnie is trying to pretend she is 17 going on 18, you see Norah get some of the privileges or experiences Audrey took for granted.

Now, are some of these experiences the type most would want if they had had a life of options? No. But getting to see Norah be included more, get to explore her dreams with Ronnie’s investment, and even get to explore her sexuality a little bit? I won’t say you’ll feel warm and fuzzy inside, but you will be grateful that Norah got to do more than suffer in silence or be the person with a disability who makes the best out of life all the time.

Loving To Hate Audrey [84/100]

As bad as Ronnie may seem, you almost are led to believe it is a trauma response to Audrey. As noted, Audrey presents the nightmare scenario of becoming a parent. A kid who has all they need to be successful but wastes it on people you know will derail their trajectory, and because they think you are being controlling, they say the absolute worst things they can to you to break your spirit.

Mind you, Audrey isn’t like Ronnie, and their actions can’t be misinterpreted and portrayed in a negative light. Yes, Ronnie is clawing onto a dream, but there isn’t malice, be it towards Cormack or Norah. So when it comes to Audrey delivering reality checks when she humbles or reminds Ronnie of her peak, or picks on her little sister, and just really pushes her family to feel like outliers, you don’t get the same ability to make excuses or humanize Audrey.

And mind you, Audrey is 17 going on 18, so she is still a child, but she is a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory kind of brat who, you may not want to see mortally wounded, but still get some form of comeuppance.

On The Fence

Cormack [77/100]

Cormack’s place in Audrey can sometimes feel a bit off. The main reason for this is that Audrey isn’t necessarily holding him back from what he wants, beyond Ronnie being able to focus on him and their marriage. But because Audrey isn’t torturing him like she does Ronnie, or stunt his ability to have a life like Norah, he often feels out of place and when Audrey becomes less of an issue, you don’t relish in his freedom like you may the others.

In fact, he may feel second to Audrey in being the family’s problem. The film tries to clean up towards the end to make Cormack less of a bad partner and father, and just misunderstood, but for some, it could be too little, too late.

Overall

Our Rating (81/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

Audrey is a bit bizarre but because it seems to know where the line is from becoming over the top, veering to a point of no return in being camp, but also not trying to be serious enough to be seen as a dramedy, it creates this complex mix or balance that I can’t imagine any other group of creatives easily replicating. Hence, the positive label for Audrey may not be for everyone, like Ronnie, if you take time to get to know it beyond the theatrics, there is something worth investing in here.

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