Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

“Tow” Film Details

• Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 45 Minutes
• Seen Via: Film Festival – Tribeca Film Festival | Press Screening or Screener

• Released On: In Theaters
• Public Release Date: June 7, 2025 (Get Tickets)
• Director(s): Stephanie Laing
• Writer(s): Jonathan Keasey, Brant Boivin, Annie Weisman
• Primary Language: English
• Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Biopic
• Rating: Not Rated

Summary

Amanda hasn’t had the easiest life. Things happened in her childhood which made drinking a means to get through life. A situation happened which led her to be addicted to opioids, and just as she was getting her life back together, her car was stolen and left somewhere, where it was towed. So starts a journey that takes more than a year to get a car back, and what little Amanda did rebuild is being threatened to the point of her questioning if the fight is worth it.

Cast and Characters

Amanda (Rose Byrne)

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

• Character Summary: Amanda is struggling. From a childhood where there is a notable bit of trauma, to now being an adult on shaky ground, while she is lucky enough to have a sweet and brilliant child, as a individual, her life sucks. However, she is working her way back to some form of normalcy and is hoping to go from focusing on survival to maintaining peace.

Barb (Octavia Spencer)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: Barb had an entire legal career at one time, but certain decisions led her down a dark path, and while she has found redemption, she is very choosy when giving others grace. Hence, her shelter is highly coveted but also warned about, since she is tough.

Denise (Ariana DeBose)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: Denise has only been in Seattle for a little more than a decade but she has had a lot happened since she has come there. From divorces to children, even addictions, Denise has a story to tell, but she is working through starting a new chapter.

Nova (Demi Lovato)

• Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
• Character Summary: It isn’t 100% clear what led to Nova being homeless. However, to get through her regrets, she hums, she sings, and with being pregnant, she plans on providing a better life to her child than what she was given.

What To Expect In “Tow” (Not Rated) – Content Overview

• Dialog:
  • Cursing: Extensive
  • Suicide Mentions: Yes
• Violence:
  • Gore/ Blood: Light
  • Notable Violence: Fight Scene(s)
• Sexual Content: Nothing Notable
• Miscellaneous:
  • Drinking: No
  • Smoking: Yes

Links

• Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
• More Coverage Of The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

The Everywoman or Person Feeling Of Amanda’s Story [82/100]

When it comes to Tow, there is a sometimes uneasy balance between feeling a bit cheesy, feel-good, adding in some real life, and a sense of grit that should be seen as inspirational. In many ways, you’ll appreciate it. Amanda is someone who has endured so much and still possesses a fighting spirit. Her, having barely anything yet still fighting what is portrayed as an arrogant and big-time lawyer, with the only desire for justice being to get her car back to see her kid, makes her someone easy to root for, with hardly any complications.

It all makes for the kind of movie which, for those who understand what Amanda has been through, can feel like a testament to human will.

On The Fence

There Are Going To Be Times You’ll Be More Interested In The Supporting Cast Than The Lead [76/100]

But, here is the thing, since Amanda is pushed to be the oppressed, with her only notable flaw being that she can be a bit mean when she drinks, it’s hard not to get bored with her sometimes. Because she is designed to be generic enough to be relatable, her story becomes less special. What doesn’t help is that you have characters like Barb, Denise, and Nova, and beyond having recognizable faces behind those characters, they also feel like they could bring something different, new, or more engaging.

Take note, while Nova doesn’t run off the details of her downfall, Barb and Denise do and considering Oscar winning actresses play both, it is hard not to wish we got to see Barb go from a notable paralegal to now running a high bar shelter, focusing on her relationship with the Lord to give her strength.

Then, for Denise, watching her lose her husbands, her kids, and the binges she likely went on? I don’t wish to imply we should have to see anyone at their worst to feel a story is engaging or entertaining. However, and maybe this feeling is triggered by seeing Lea DeLaria in two movies in the past week (this one included), there is almost an Orange Is The New Black type of vibe here with Amanda being Piper and Nova, Denise and Barb being the women who benefit from Amanda acting as a Trojan Horse to let their stories, even if in a miniscule way, be told.

Overall

Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Tow delivers a heartfelt story of perseverance and survival, anchored by Amanda’s struggles to keep her life together against overwhelming odds. The film highlights the power of human will and the ability to persevere, even when resources are scarce and the future seems uncertain.

However, Tow sometimes falls into cliché territory by making Amanda a bit too generic and underdeveloped, causing side characters — like Nova, Denise, and Barb — to become more captivating than the lead. With there being a rich potential for these supporting roles to add depth and texture to the story, it does lead to some frustration as Tow sticks close to a feel-good formula instead of fully exploring the stories of those women beyond information dumps. Never mind, rounding Amanda’s edges to maintain her likability over truly giving a sense of her humanity.

Making it so, ultimately, Tow is a dramatic, character-centric story that resonates most when it focuses on its messages of hope, resilience, and transformation, but when looking at who is delivering the message, it can sometimes lost its luster.

What To Check Out Next