"Lemonade Blessing" Tribeca's Newest Gem That Will Leave Your Inner Catholic Kid Squirming

Every year, the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City sees the premieres of countless films by some of the best creatives in the world and this year was no different. This past week was the world premiere of the coming-of-age film, Lemonade Blessing by Chris Merola, starring Jake Ryan and Skye Alyssa Friedman. A movie that will make you sick to your stomach, but you'll love every second.

Lemonade Blessing follows the story of John Santucci, a terminally awkward fifteen year old as he navigates his first few days at his Catholic high school. Over the course of the film we see John come to grips with friends, new love, and most of all: his faith. When his new girlfriend Lilith keeps demanding John to do more progressively blasphemous things, John must choose which relationship he values more, his one with Lilith or his one with Jesus. The film also stars the likes of Jeanine Serralles, Miles J. Harvey, Keith William Richards, and a plethora of talented actors who have found themselves particularly booked and busy this past year. Audiences might recall Harvey from his recent role in Dito Montiel's Riff Raff, where he further proved his incredible comedy chops.

You might also remember lead actor, Jake Ryan from his long-time collaborations with Wes Anderson, including Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, and most recently: Asteroid City. But Lemonade Blessing is the first time we have seen Ryan in a lead role and his performance is the movie's crown jewel. Every painfully awkward moment is turned into comedy gold with his scene partner, Skye Alyssa Friedman, who plays Lilith. The two of them have such realistic on-screen chemistry that will take you right back to the years of your adolescence you'd rather not remember. the title Lemonade Blessing is apt because the expression on your face for most of the film will be the same as when you down a particularly sour glass of the drink: an inconcealable cringe.

I ended up watching a great deal of this film through the cracks of my fingers. But even with my limited visibility, I was still able to enjoy some truly commendable cinematography from DP, Harrison Kraft.

In the brief time since its release, Chris Merola's film has already had many comparisons drawn to previous coming-of-age films. Most often, LadyBird and Eighth Grade, which coincidentally also starred Jake Ryan. If you're a fan of either of those films, chances are you'll love Lemonade Blessing. But those comparisons aren't just referring to the comedy and main setting, the film also has a lot of genuine heart. As the film progresses, John goes through a crisis of faith that will feel all-too-familiar for audience members who grew up Catholic. While the film remains a steady comedy for most of the runtime, there is a great balance of sincere moments where the audience gets to take a look into the scattershot brain of an awkward 15 year old struggling with his faith. As the granddaughter of a Catholic priest who was a full-blown atheist by ten, I felt beyond seen.

Lemonade Blessing is above all, a testament to director, Chris Merola's skill as a storyteller. Which is made all the more impressive when you learn that this is his feature debut. If his next project is anything like this, you can sign me up immediately.

Amen.