Chasing Summer (2026) – Review and Summary (Sundance)

Iliza Shlesinger takes on her first leading role in a more serious film, but does she do as most comics and show she has the knack for a bit of drama, or falls face-first?

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Chasing Summer” Film Details

  • Director(s): Josephine Decker
  • Writer(s): Iliza Shlesinger
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 31 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (Film Festival – Sundance [More Coverage Of The 2026 Film Festival]): January 29, 2026
  • Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Content Rating: Not Rated
  • Primary Language: English

Movie Summary

For most of Jamie’s adult life, she has gone from one disaster zone to the next for a career, helping in recovery efforts. But, after the end of her most recent relationship, she goes from traveling the world to help communities heal to going home to Texas to fix the relationships she abandoned 20 years ago.

Cast and Characters

Jamie (Iliza Shlesinger)

  • Character Summary: Jamie has spent most of her life working, not volunteering, to help areas recover after major storms and devastation. But, as we learn from her family, and even her boyfriend at one time, it seems she uses the work to escape from all the conversations she is overdue to have.

Marissa (Cassidy Freeman)

  • Character Summary: Marissa, at one time, was a hot mess. However, rehab, a steady job at the roller rink, which she owns, and her family have helped her recover. Her employees may say she is a bit of a hard ass, but at least no one can call her a dumb one – anymore.

Harper (Lola Tung)

  • Character Summary: Harper is one of Marissa’s employees, and she is a 20-something still trying to navigate boys, school, and, honestly, becomes Jamie’s first friend when she returns to Texas. Even if their relationship is more about Jamie being the big sister Marissa rarely, if ever, was.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Jamie’s Journey [82/100]

It seems almost poetic that when your life is in complete and utter chaos, you decide to help others when their life is at its worst. But, as shown through Jamie, while altruistic, in the form of going all over the world to help rebuild people’s lives, you can’t ignore the fact that Jamie is running from her own dilapidated personal life.

All her relationships back home, whether platonic, familial, or romantic, are in disarray, with her operating on the assumption that there is no real means of repair. But as it becomes clear she hasn’t made any notable relationships, beyond a romantic one, when she is in need, it sets the tone for the film. For it’s crazy to imagine you have built homes for people, given out resources, but in your time of need, who is there beyond your judgmental mom and eccentric father? Never mind the older sister who, due to her past issues, often made you into an afterthought.

But, while Jamie seemed to have sparse contact with her family, it wasn’t completely no contact over 20 years. They may have barely talked, certainly not seen each other in the flesh, but there was a minimal communication. This means a lot of filled-in details. Whether it is about where she has been, what happened to make her leave, because things have been kept cordial, everyone has made their own narrative. However, despite the growth Jamie sees in herself, she also reminds you that, all the good you do in the world, the accolades, accomplishments, even degrees, are built on the foundation of your childhood.

This is shown as Jamie settle back into her old life, you can see how she was stunted in some ways. I would even say her relationship with Harper, an employee of Jamie’s big sister Marissa, comes with ease since Jamie has physically traveled the world, but part of her remains stuck around Harper’s age. So when it comes to navigating boys and communication, it isn’t purely the result of Jamie’s work or a need for high emotional intelligence. It is also rooted in the trauma that caused her to leave, resulting in a form of arrested development.

However, as Jamie gets to be young, reckless, and eventually confronts every person, every rumor that she felt pushed her out, you can see healing. As noted below, the start of it, not a full recovery. But in reconciling who she is with who she was, it seems she no longer feels the need to run to disaster, but face and invest in the chaos that feels personal. For it is easy to be the traveling hero; it is much harder to be a fixture of the village who isn’t going anywhere.

On The Fence

It’s Not Notably Funny Or Overtly Emotional [74/100]

The way Chasing Summer operates is more through funny scenarios and moments, than dialogue. Yes, Jamie’s mom, and most of the characters, are southern, so there is a touch of shade which can make you laugh. But, generally speaking, the film isn’t trying to be a straight comedy where every other line is a punch line.

But, on the other end, as much as this is about Jamie retracing her steps and mending bridges and relationships, I wouldn’t say the film goes so deep that it could trigger tears or a notable emotional response. For example, there are long delayed conversations in the film, including between Jamie and her older sister, Marissa. Yet, it’s clear that the film knows this is just the start of the conversation, the beginning of the healing process. Because of that, we don’t really get too far past the acknowledgement from both parties that something is wrong.

Making it so Chasing Summer doesn’t feel like it is trying to balance its comedic and dramatic elements, but rather avoid investing in either too heavily to remain realistic, but sometimes forgettable.

Overall

Our Rating (78/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Chasing Summer succeeds in what can be seen as its main goal in presenting Iliza Shlesinger as someone who is just as much a stand-up comedian and comedic actress as someone who can handle a more serious role. But, unfortunately, while the film does well in highlighting her abilities, it doesn’t necessarily pack the punch that audiences might be looking for in terms of punch lines or body blows that can lead to tears. It’s so middle-of-the-road that it feels bound to be lost in the zeitgeist of movies.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.