When Growing up Means Facing the Past Together

Read Time:5 Minute, 3 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
We Do Our Best
–

Genre: Drama, Coming-of-Age, Short
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 14m
Director(s): Hannah Rose Ammon
Writer(s): Hannah Rose Ammon
Cast: Jennifer Esposito, Madalynn Mathews, Taylor Rosen
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: WE DO OUR BEST is a short film with the weight of something much larger. At just fourteen minutes, it’s easy to imagine this story getting lost in the crowd. Yet, once its premise is laid bare — a mother helping her daughter pose as an older woman for one night out in Manhattan — the emotional core proves impossible to shake. Written and directed by Hannah Rose Ammon, it’s a deeply personal story that has been transformed into something we can all connect with.

The beauty of the film lies in its restraint. Where many coming-of-age tales lunge for the dramatic, WE DO OUR BEST chooses closeness. It focuses on the seemingly small: the act of sneaking into a cocktail lounge, the fleeting thrill of pretending to be older, and the subtle yet seismic shift when a daughter realizes her mother is just as fallible as she is. These choices aren’t showy, but they’re far more lasting. The effect is that of eavesdropping on a real memory, one lived and understood only years after the fact.

At the center is Jennifer Esposito, who brings a wealth of experience and depth to the role of the single mother. Known for her wide-ranging career in both film and television, Esposito taps into something grounded here, reminding us that parenting is as much about stumbling forward as it is about guiding. Her performance is not the type that begs for attention — it’s the quiet endurance and vulnerability that resonate. Securing a talent of her caliber significantly elevates the film, especially when paired with emerging actors Madalynn Mathews and Taylor Rosen. Together, the three craft performances that feel lived-in rather than staged.

The film thrives on contrasts: innocence and rebellion, comfort and risk, independence and protection. As the daughter navigates her curiosity toward an older man, subtle parallels begin to emerge with her mother’s past. Ammon resists melodrama. Instead, she captures moments of tension that hang in the air, moments where trust can be broken or strengthened with just a glance. The tension isn’t built through horror or shock but through the deeply human fear of misunderstanding between parent and child.

The short embraces its New York setting with familiarity rather than grandeur. Shot on location, the city doesn’t become a glossy backdrop but rather a lived-in landscape. Dim lighting, cramped interiors, and fleeting glimpses of the nightlife underline the story’s sense of secrecy. There’s no attempt to romanticize the setting — the city is shown as it feels in memory: impressionistic, fleeting, half-formed in the haze of youth. It’s a perspective that reinforces how subjective this kind of story is, told as much from remembered feelings as from exact details.

Ammon proves herself an artist who understands the value of patience. It reportedly took her ten years to process the real-life night that inspired the film, and that patience is evident in her direction. Scenes are allowed to breathe. Conversations overlap with silence. The pacing isn’t designed for a cheap effect but for slow recognition.

If there is a critique to be made, it comes with most shorts: the inevitable desire for more. At fourteen minutes, the film captures a snapshot rather than a full arc. For some viewers, that restraint will be its strength, but for others, it may leave the sense that a larger canvas could have made the themes even more powerful. In this way, it is a proof-of-concept for a feature-length exploration, where more time with the characters could deepen the impact. Yet, there’s also an argument that stretching it further might risk diluting the strength that makes it special.

WE DO OUR BEST succeeds because it avoids the trap of overstatement. It doesn’t attempt to define motherhood, adolescence, or New York life in sweeping terms. Instead, it gives us one night — imperfect, and unforgettable. The title itself is the thesis: parents and children alike are figuring it out as they go, stumbling through mistakes, and finding connection in unlikely places. Honesty is what makes the film stand out.

For a debut, it’s impressive in emotional clarity. Ammon’s voice as a filmmaker emerges with a unique confidence, and Esposito proves once again why she’s a talent worth following in any capacity, whether behind or in front of the camera. WE DO OUR BEST distinguishes itself not with spectacle but with sincerity. It may be short, but its truths feel lasting.

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[photo courtesy of RADISH FILMS]

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