Avenue of the Giants 2026 Movie Review Trailer Poster
Being a father has made me incredibly sensitive to stories involving the relationship between son, father, and grandfather, and this has become the most emotional film I've ever seen. The flood of emotions was overwhelming, and I can say that "Avenue of the Giants" will stay with me for a long time as I continue to process it.
Starting with the all-too-familiar family narrative of keeping secrets from family members for what is believed to be their own good, this story feels very personal from the beginning. We have a sweet old man, illness, trauma, and happy children, all in the opening scenes, and I could already feel the tears welling up. I immediately sensed the weight of what was to come and knew it was going to expose something raw.
Director: Finn Taylor
Writer: Finn Taylor
Stars: Stephen Lang, Elsie Fisher, Luke David Blumm
The suffering of two people, separated by time, becomes the bridge that allows them to establish mutual trust and the courage to open up and share their respective stories. We watch as an intergenerational friendship develops and brings resolution to both sides in different ways. Although the acting didn't entirely convince me, the storytelling was kind and beautiful, so it's easily forgiven. Stephen Lang wonderfully captured Herbert Heller's endearing, charming, albeit wounded, nature. The Heller family cast portrayed a beautiful family unit with strong bonds and cherished memories, performed with the sensitivity of a child who idolized his father, who would remember and recount them.
A comment on the cinematography: The first scene outside of California takes place in Prague. I should point out that my first thought was, "It's a shame they spoke English, rather than their native language, with English subtitles." However, this stylistic choice was obviously intentional, as the Germans entered speaking German with English subtitles. The differentiation made the English-speaking viewer feel the language barrier that the Czechs and the German intruders in their country would have felt. Very clever.
For me, a film is always more impactful when it's based on a true story, as this one was. The magnitude and depth of the pain and suffering that families endured during World War II are sometimes difficult to convey to the viewer, especially to later generations who live further removed from the time of the event. That's why it's important to capture and share these stories, so they aren't lost or forgotten.
Avenue of the Giants also highlights the healing power of storytelling. Today, we understand the value of creating spaces where we can talk about trauma and seek the help we need to process it. Many people affected by the war carried their trauma in silence and solitude, suffering doubly as a result.
I won't watch this film again because I can't. As an empath, the emotional intensity was too much for me, but that shows how well-made it is.
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