Bad Decisions, Real Consequences, Unexpected Grace

Read Time:5 Minute, 42 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
If That Mockingbird Don't Sing
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Genre: Dramedy, Coming-of-age
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director(s): Sadie Bones
Writer(s): Sadie Bones
Cast: Aitana Doyle, Braxton Fannin, David Krumholtz, Nadia Dajani, Ava Bodnar, Andrew Michael Fama, Catherine Curtin, Kevin Corrigan, Galadriel Stineman, Natalie Carter, Suzanne DiDonna, Stuart Rudin, Michael Buscemi
Where to Watch: on demand starting October 14, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: The hook is simple enough to pitch in a sentence: a high-school kid gets dumped, finds out she’s pregnant, and decides keeping the baby might win him back and give her life direction. The film takes that impulse seriously without mocking it, then dismantles the fantasy with clear eyes and a sense of humor that never condescends. IF THAT MOCKINGBIRD DON’T SING is a teen pregnancy dramedy that respects its characters’ naïveté while insisting on accountability; it allows Sydnie’s (Aitana Doyle) hope to be sincere and simultaneously shows why “fixing” your life by having a baby is a fragile plan at best.

The film’s strongest aspect is its character work. Sydnie isn’t a PSA mouthpiece or a cautionary caricature; she’s impulsive, funny, defensive, and brave, all while being terrified and broken. You can feel the tug-of-war between the part of her that craves validation and the corner of her mind that knows she’s not ready. Surrounding her is a believable group of adults and peers who each pull her story in different directions. The mentor figures (played with weary warmth and directness) speak from experience rather than condescension. Friends oscillate between ride-or-die loyalty and self-preserving distance in ways that track with real teenage friendships. And the boys—exes, almost-boyfriends, and opportunists—aren’t villains so much as unreliable narrators of their own lack of growth. That choice keeps the film grounded; blame is less important than the choices characters make as the illusion of control starts to crack.

The film navigates a delicate balance. It’s playful enough to keep you leaning in—jokes land, awkward encounters earn laughs, and the social ecosystem of high school feels real—but it never undercuts the weight of the situation. The humor acts as a release valve, not an excuse. As Sydnie’s plan turns into a web of obligations she doesn’t fully understand, the film resists melodrama and leans into specificity: the paperwork, the appointments, the practical and emotional logistics that transform a teenage gamble into an adult reality. That attention to detail gives the film half its bite. The laughs don’t disappear; they just sit beside tougher conversations about autonomy, co-parenting, money, and the way a single decision changes everything.

Dialogue is a bright spot. It has a tone that feels genuine without leaning on slang as a crutch, and it trusts subtext. Sydnie often says the opposite of what she means, and the film allows us to watch her learn to express things out loud that she’d rather keep private. The adults speak like people who have already paid the price for mistakes and don’t want to see her repeat them.

Performance-wise, the ensemble sells the premise. However, it's Aitana Doyle who gives Sydnie a true energy in a career-defining role—equal parts bravado and vulnerability—that allows the character to be wrong without losing the audience. Among the adults, David Krumholtz and Catherine Curtin bring a grounded authority without softening the edges; Kevin Corrigan and Nadia Dajani seamlessly transition from comedy to hard truths. The supporting teens (Braxton Fannin, Ava Bodnar, Andrew Michael Fama, and others) avoid the trap of being perceived as plot devices. Even in scenes built to push Sydnie toward the next decision, the cast plays people first, functions second.

The film is less about teen pregnancy than about agency and responsibility. It refuses to glamorize sacrifice as virtue in itself; choosing the harder path isn’t inherently noble if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Likewise, it refuses to paint abortion, adoption, or parenting as binaries. What matters is whether Sydnie is ready to own the consequences of any path she takes—and whether the people around her will step up when their words require action. That framework enables the film to engage with hot-button topics without resorting to grandstanding. It doesn’t attempt to settle national arguments; it seeks to reveal the truth about these characters.

If there’s one area that could elevate the piece even further, it’s the final stretch. The resolution is emotionally satisfying and honest, but it soft-lands a little quickly after the story’s most difficult choice. One more scene of aftermath—something that shows how the decision reshapes daily life—would deepen the impact and underline the film’s commitment to reality. Even so, the closing image leaves Sydnie in a place that feels earned: not triumphant, not punished, but clearer about who she is and what the next right step looks like. Make sure you stick around after the ending.

Overall, this is exactly the kind of debut that makes you want to see what the filmmaker does next—with a confident voice, forgiving to their characters, and focused on the messy space where intention meets consequence. It’s easy to imagine a more sensationalized version of this story; what we get instead is humane, funny, and heartfelt!

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[photo courtesy of TRIBECA FILMS, AKWARD PRODUCTIONS, AQUARIUS LION PRODUCTIONS, BOILER ROOM PRODUCTIONS]

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