There’s something disarming about watching two actors who don’t need indie cinema anymore… choosing it anyway.
Chris Pine and Jenny Slate are starring in Carousel, an indie romance written and directed by Rachel Lambert—the filmmaker behind Sometimes I Think About Dying, that 2023 festival darling that made loneliness feel like a physical presence on screen. If you missed Lambert’s debut, you missed something understated and devastating in equal measure. Her follow-up sounds like it’s leaning into similar territory: intimate, character-driven, probably heartbreaking.
Plot details? Nonexistent. The film wrapped shooting in Cleveland, Ohio, and that’s about all we know beyond “love story.” Which, honestly, feels right for Lambert’s sensibility. Her work doesn’t announce itself—it seeps in.
The Cast: Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Territory
Pine and Slate are joined by Abby Ryder Fortson (Ant-Man), Sam Waterston (yes, that Sam Waterston), Katey Sagal, Heléne Yorke, Jessica Harper (Suspiria, the original), and Jeffrey DeMunn. That’s… a stacked ensemble for something billed as indie. Harper’s presence alone gives this a certain cult credibility—she’s not in everything, so when she shows up, you pay attention.
The production team includes Alex Saks, Bobby Daly Jr., and David Lipper of Latigo Films, with Pine himself producing alongside Ian Gotler through Barry Linen Motion Pictures. Pine producing his own projects isn’t new—he’s been circling auteur-adjacent work for years now—but it does suggest he’s got skin in the game here. This isn’t a paycheck gig.
Pine’s Post-Poolman Pivot (Or Is It?)
Let’s talk about where Pine is right now. His directorial debut, Poolman, was… polarizing. Charming to some, baffling to others, a Chinatown-flavored passion project that didn’t quite land for most audiences. But you have to respect the swing. And Chris Pine and Jenny Slate Carousel feels like a natural next step—less control, more collaboration, back to being in something rather than steering it.
Recently, Pine appeared in Don’t Worry Darling (the movie everyone watched for the wrong reasons), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (which was way more fun than it had any right to be), and Disney’s Wish (which… existed). Up next, he’s starring opposite Cate Blanchett and Dave Bautista in Alpha Gang, a sci-fi comedy from sibling filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner. That project sounds wonderfully weird—Zellners don’t do conventional.
So Pine’s in this fascinating spot where he’s toggling between big studio tentpoles and oddball indie risks. Carousel sits firmly in the latter camp.
Slate’s Momentum Keeps Building
Jenny Slate, meanwhile, continues her tear through prestige projects. Her Emmy-nominated performance opposite Michelle Williams in FX’s Dying for Sex (a title that undersells how emotionally wrecking that show was) proved she could anchor something raw and difficult without losing her innate warmth. She’s got range most comedic actors don’t bother developing.
She’s also set to appear in At the Sea, a drama from Kornél Mundruczó that co-stars Amy Adams, Brett Goldstein, and Rainn Wilson. And yes, she’s reprising her role in Disney’s Zootopia 2—because apparently even in her serious-actor era, she’s still voicing an animated sheep. Balance, I guess.
What’s interesting about Slate in Carousel is that Lambert’s style—subdued, observational, emotionally forensic—should let her do what she does best: make vulnerability feel specific rather than performative. If Lambert gives her room to breathe, this could be quietly devastating.
Rachel Lambert’s Vision (and Why It Matters)
Let’s not sleep on Lambert here. Sometimes I Think About Dying wasn’t a loud movie. It didn’t trend. But it understood something about modern alienation that most films gloss over. It was about a woman who fantasizes about her own death not because she’s suicidal, but because she can’t imagine mattering. That’s a hell of a premise, and Lambert threaded it with such care that the film never felt manipulative.
Carousel—even just the title—suggests circularity, repetition, maybe nostalgia. Love stories that loop. Relationships that spin. I’m speculating, sure, but Lambert doesn’t strike me as the type to make a straightforward rom-com. This will probably hurt in interesting ways.
The fact that filming wrapped in Cleveland is worth noting too. Lambert shot Sometimes I Think About Dying in Oregon, leaning into that Pacific Northwest gloom. Cleveland in winter (or even late fall) has its own brand of melancholy—industrial, Midwestern, quietly fading. If she’s using location as character again, Carousel might have a very specific texture.
Why This Indie Romance Feels Different
Here’s the thing: indie romance as a genre has become insufferably precious. You know the kind—quirky leads, Wes Anderson color grading, ukulele scores, emotional resolutions tied up in artisanal twine. Lambert doesn’t traffic in that. Her work feels more aligned with something like Aftersun or Past Lives—romances (or near-romances) that acknowledge the weight of time and missed connection.
Chris Pine and Jenny Slate Carousel has the potential to be something that lingers rather than resolves. Something that doesn’t give you a clean ending because love stories rarely do.
Pine and Slate are both actors who’ve aged into interesting choices. They’re not chasing franchises (well, Pine’s still got Star Trek baggage, but he’s clearly trying to shake it). They’re old enough to play characters with history, regret, second chances. That’s where the best indie work happens—when actors bring lived-in weariness to roles that demand it.
What We’re Watching For
No release date yet. No festival announcements. But Lambert’s debut hit Sundance and SXSW, so it’s safe to assume Carousel will follow a similar path—festival circuit first, limited theatrical run, eventual streaming home. That’s the indie playbook now, and honestly, it works for this kind of film. You want to see it in a theater where silence matters, where you can hear other people breathing.
I’m curious how Pine and Slate’s chemistry plays out. They’ve never worked together before (that I’m aware of), and on paper, they shouldn’t quite fit—Pine’s got that old-Hollywood handsomeness, Slate’s energy is more neurotic and self-aware. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe Lambert cast them precisely because they’re mismatched in interesting ways.
And I’m curious whether Lambert leans into the romance or pulls away from it. Her instinct seems to be toward restraint, toward what’s unsaid. If Carousel is a love story that’s more about longing than consummation, more about memory than presence, it could wreck me in the best way.
What Makes Carousel Worth Watching
Rachel Lambert’s track record
Her debut, Sometimes I Think About Dying, was a masterclass in quiet devastation. She knows how to make silence feel loud, how to let actors exist in the frame without forcing emotional beats. If Carousel matches that level of craft, we’re in for something special.
Pine’s indie resurgence
After years of blockbuster work and a polarizing directorial debut, Pine seems genuinely invested in smaller, stranger projects. Carousel could be the film that reminds people he’s more than Captain Kirk—he’s an actor who can anchor something fragile and human.
Slate’s emotional precision
She’s one of the few actors who can make neurosis feel generous rather than self-indulgent. In Lambert’s hands, Slate could deliver something career-defining—a performance that’s funny and gutting in equal measure.
The ensemble depth
Jessica Harper. Sam Waterston. This isn’t a two-hander. Lambert’s building a world, and these actors bring decades of lived-in credibility. Even the smaller roles will likely feel earned.
FAQ
Is Carousel a traditional romantic comedy?
Unlikely. Rachel Lambert’s previous work (Sometimes I Think About Dying) was far more interested in melancholy and emotional ambiguity than feel-good resolutions. Expect something closer to Aftersun than When Harry Met Sally.
When will Carousel be released?
No official date yet. Given Lambert’s festival pedigree, expect a Sundance or SXSW premiere followed by a limited theatrical run in late 2025 or early 2026.
Why did Chris Pine choose this project after directing Poolman?
Pine’s been gravitating toward auteur-driven indie work for years. Producing Carousel through his own company suggests he’s invested in Lambert’s vision and willing to step back from the director’s chair to collaborate with a filmmaker whose sensibility aligns with his own.
What’s the significance of filming in Cleveland?
Lambert uses location as emotional texture—her debut leaned into Oregon’s coastal gloom. Cleveland in winter carries its own melancholy, industrial and fading. If she’s consistent, the city will function as more than a backdrop.
