Happy Hours (2026) – Review and Summary | Tribeca Film Festival

Katie Holmes stars, writes, and directs an impeccable romance with fellow Dawson’s Creek alum Joshua Jackson, which will likely become one of your favorite romance movies of the year, if not of all time.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Happy Hours ” Film Details

Movie Summary

When Liz and Andrew were teenagers, they were each other’s everything. They listened to Blondie together, kissed anywhere and everywhere, and even when life wasn’t jovial, they were there for one another. But unfortunately, like a light switch, they found themselves going from being in each other’s arms to estranged.

Decades later, Andrew returns to New York City as a noteworthy travel writer, and Liz, an accomplished photographer in her own right, and for a magazine shoot, they reunite. Old feelings reignite, and with both having lived life, they know what led to their ending can’t be swept under the rug. So, between just getting closure or maybe trying to give their relationship another go, both ask pertinent, silly, thoughtful, all the questions to see who they are, what they can be, and what has happened since they last spoke.

Cast and Characters

Liz (Katie Holmes)

  • Character Summary: Liz is a photographer, born and raised in New York City, who isn’t much for chaos or lacking control. To prove this, she still lives in the same neighborhood, same block even, where she grew up. But despite this need for control and familiarity, she loves taking pictures of people, life, and what isn’t always static.

Andrew (Joshua Jackson)

  • Character Summary: With traveling a bit as a teenager, Andrew got the bug and made a career our of it. But life has recently shifted for him, and now he wants and needs stability. Thus leading him to put down some roots in his old stomping grounds, in NYC, and try to figure out his next move.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

How The Flashbacks Are Used To Make This Relationship Feel More Real [83/100]

Having two actors play the same character in a movie can be tricky, especially when it is a younger version and a present-day one. The younger actors can present storylines that make you want them to be the focal point, or seem unnecessary, and all of what they perform could have just been dialogue. That isn’t the case here.

When it comes to the younger versions of Andrew and Liz, it helps you understand why Liz was so shook to see Andrew again, and why they smile and look at each other as they do. With how things are left, you get the sense that feelings didn’t stop but were on pause for a notable amount of time, and seeing Andrew there for pivotal moments in Liz’s life made things real.

Also, I’d say it took some of the weight off Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson. They were given more space to speak in body language than dialogue, and thus didn’t have to convince an audience that these two loved each other; instead, you could just see it as clear as day.

How Conflict Is Shown and Resolved [85/100]

There is no such thing as a relationship with two people without disagreement, and it is rare to find or be in one without any form of conflict. So when it comes to Liz and Andrew, whether it is reconciling what happened when they were teenagers or figuring out what they could be past a week, you see a lot of tough conversations. This is perhaps what really makes Happy Hours stand out because they ebb and flow from being those uncomfortable conversations about are you even available, and addressing feelings of abandonment, to lighter fare.

On top of that, nearly all romance movies have that major blow-up that leaves you unsure if this relationship will survive, and while Happy Hours has some form of that, it isn’t as dramatic. It isn’t something that makes you think a grand gesture or Herculean shift is required for these two to even think of getting back together.

Rather, as we’ve seen with most of the movie, it is about rediscovering who this person is, remaining curious, offering grace when there is a lot of room for misunderstanding, and letting love be the drive to clear away your insecurities and nonsense.

Establishing That Both Have Lives Outside Each Other [84/100]

The best types of romance films are the kind that make it clear the relationship is an active choice, and that neither really has time for a relationship, but because of who the other person is, they will make time.

Liz is a photographer doing shoots for major magazines, and with her aunt and friends, she has a full life. Add in a recent divorce she is still navigating, and why the divorce happened, and it makes Andrew very much an optional person to take on. Never mind all the emotions that come with seeing and being around him, that will take time to process.

Andrew? He is a travel writer with his two closest friends in New York, with whom he tries to keep a consistent schedule. One is deaf, and he learned ASL in order to keep them active in any conversation, and even his friends are fleshed out to have their own lives. Making it clear, no matter who we’re talking about, it takes effort.

So when it comes to Liz and Andrew talking, going on dates, acting like archaeologists as they analyze the skeleton of their teen romance, you fully see and recognize an adult relationship. One without any real form of convenience, and that takes a lot of work to get to the good parts.

A Swoon Worthy Film [88/100]

Throughout the movie, you may find yourself wondering who wrote and who directed this because they just get it. For those who like romance films, you’re not against some drama, you want some jokes, but what you really want is to relive the feeling of falling in love with someone you can feel safe enough to do so with.

This makes Katie Holmes the writer, director, and lead, noteworthy, for she nails it on all ends. Liv gives you that person who is successful in everything but love, but not in a lazy way. Yes, she is recently divorced, but the reason is immensely complicated, and the guy doesn’t exist in a purely black or white lens of being a jerk or not. Thus allowing Liz to not be a woe is me type about love, but have just as much baggage as anyone else in their 30s or beyond.

Then, with Andrew, you can tell Liz was the love of his life, and anyone who came since was being compared to her. But it isn’t weird or awkward. Things were left without closure, and for every woman since, it doesn’t seem ridiculous that Andrew put them side by side with his first love. Especially since, as much as he was there for notable moments in her life, that doesn’t discount the major role she played in him feeling comfortable with who he was and being able to grow from being with her.

And that’s what makes their reunion so special. As noted above, a lot of it is first in body language, then having friends and family who support it, and all the while, nothing is ideal. Liz has her stuff she has to work out just as much as Andrew, but nothing is made into soap opera drama where a ridiculous amount of reassurance has to be put down. We get two people wanting, yearning for each other, and there are many moments where it seems getting back together could come with ease.

However, with more than a decade passing since they last saw each other, it isn’t lost on either of them that nostalgia is like a drug, and maybe closure over what happened should be the endpoint – not till death do they part.

Overall

Our Rating (85/100): Positive (Worth Seeing) – Recommended

Happy Hours is the type of film that deserves proper distribution, marketing, and more because it feels not like a reset to what romance films were but where they need to be. It shows you two people who have a life, and lived life, be in love. It gives you realistic complications, reactions to them, and paths forward. It just does so much right without making anything feel perfect and it makes clear, ideal can be possible if willing to put in the work.

Hence the recommendation and positive label. Happy Hours doesn’t just set a precedent for what you will want in future romance films, but also for what you may expect in future relationships. For it is grounded enough to not be an escape, something to wish for, but it feels obtainable – you just have to find the person who wants what you want.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.