Any Day Now

It's easy to miss how good Any Day Now is because it doesn't wave its arms around. Writer/Director Eric Aronson just tells the story and gets out of the way. No fake drama, no big emotional payoff, just a movie that feels like something real for once. The people in it feel like people you've actually met. It's the rare kind of film that feels okay being exactly what it is.

The story blends the criminal underworld with a coming-of-age story. At its core, it's about two men caught between their past decisions and the people they're trying to become. Set in Boston, the film digs into themes of identity, responsibility, and the choices that can shape your life. In the midst of navigating the gritty (and often hilarious) reality of their environment, the characters are forced to confront what it means to grow up, not just in the eyes of others but to themselves.

Highly recommend.

Greetings again from the darkness. St. Patrick's Day 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the single largest unsolved property theft in the world. On that day, thieves made off with hundreds of millions of dollars of artwork from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (including works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas, and Manet). The reward offer of $10 million still stands. Writer-director Eric Aronson presents his feature film debut, inspired by the crime ... though he admits, "this is not what happened."

Steve Baker (Taylor Gray, SATURDAY NIGHT, 2024) works as an overnight security guard at the museum. He's what we used to call a 'doormat' - meaning he's a nice guy, but his friends (and pretty much everyone) takes advantage of him. Danny (Armando Rivera) is his roommate and bandmate, and hasn't paid rent in six months, and basically sabotages their band. Sara (Alexandra Templer) is Danny's girlfriend, and more importantly, Steve's unrequited and silent dream girl - though she also takes advantage of him. On top of everything, Steve owes $5000 to his drug dealer.

Nice guy Steve has mostly lost control of his life and sees no real path towards improvement. That's when Marty Lyons (Paul Guilfoyle) shows up. You'll surely recognize Mr. Guilfoyle from his many appearances in movies and TV shows, although it's terrific to see him in a rare lead role. Marty, a lover of poetry and art, maneuvers Steve into his criminal operation - including as a surprise character witness at Marty's parole hearing. Soon enough, Steve's life gets more complicated, not less. He finds himself juggling his role in Marty's art heist plan, the personal threats of a rival gangster (Thomas Kee), questioning from the FBI, and worries about his relationships with Danny and Sara.

This is the type of independent film that's a pleasure to embrace. We are even treated to Guilfoyle singing The Standells song, "Dirty Water" live at a bar. Every character here has 'a story' to tell. Some get to tell theirs, while we are left to fill in the gaps on others. This is not so much a heist film as one with a clear message ... breaking out of a rut for a new life can be difficult and challenging, but also worthwhile.

Opens on March 17, 2025.

They don't make 'em like this anymore! A film that treats the audience with respect and doesn't spoon feed the narrative is such a relief. Plus it's So much fun to watch- great characters and clever dialogue- it's the kind of classic film that gets better with each viewing. It's also beautifully shot. Some of the scenes took my breath away. It is A quintessential boston film- anyone who knows or loves Boston, art heists, music, and/ or coming of age stories, should check this out. The acting is also solid- each of the characters is well developed and realistic. The pacing is great- I didn't check my phone once.

This movie was such a pleasure to watch! Part caper, part coming-of-age, this tender and comedic thriller will charm all who love a good story! I loved it and was utterly captivated the entire time. The acting was incredible, and I loved how this was filmed entirely in Boston. The story is one that just grabs you from the start and doesn't let up. I think it's rare these days to leave a movie feeling so satisfied, and this movie does exactly that. I feel like it's one of those films that I will continue to return to over the years and that will garner a cult following. I mean, who doesn't love a good Boston story?