Indie dramas are supposed to be gritty, raw, and predictably human. But Tendaberry —Mubi's latest streamable gem—doesn't just buck trends; it sets itself on fire, then rebuilds the genre from the ashes.
The trailer for Tendaberry is less a preview and more an overture. Its protagonist, Dakota (Kota Johan), navigates Coney Island's post-pandemic chaos like a jazz musician riffing on a broken piano. The film's structure—split into four seasons, inspired by The Avalanches' Wildflower —isn't just experimental; it's a love letter to chaos. Director Haley Elizabeth Anderson, a Sundance 2024 standout, trades linear storytelling for emotional crescendos. “I hate it here. I love it here”—Dakota's mantra—mirrors the film's tension between stability and upheaval.
This isn't the first indie to flirt with nonlinearity. Moonlight (2016) used triptychs to dissect masculinity; The Florida Project (2017) turned decay into poetry. But Tendaberry adds a modern, urgent twist: Dakota's journey mirrors the Ukraine war's ripple effects, blending personal and geopolitical stakes. Anderson's approach recalls Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird —a coming-of-age story that refuses to sugarcoat trauma—but with a soundtrack that pulses like a heartbeat.
Historically, Sundance darlings often struggle to translate festival buzz into mainstream success (see: The Florida Project 's cult status). Yet Tendaberry 's Mubi release—streaming April 25—positions it as a niche triumph. The platform's audience, accustomed to cerebral fare like The Duke of Burgundy , might embrace its “urban symphony” ethos. But skeptics will ask: Is this art or navel-gazing?
You'll either love this or hate it. Here's why: Tendaberry isn't for fans of tidy endings. It's a mosaic of uncertainty, much like life itself. Would you risk losing yourself in its chaos?
