‘Take Me Home’ Review: Deeply Sincere Drama Has Enormous Heart, Lacks Complexity

“Take Me Home” is a sensitive drama that marks a notably personal feature debut for director Liz Sargent. As a lengthier adaptation of her lovely 2023 short film, however, it’s missing an expanded dramatic complexity that would have allowed it to stand entirely on its own.

As before, Sargent has cast her sister, Anna Sargent, to play Anna, the adult daughter of aging Floridians Joan (Marceline Hugot) and Bob (Victor Slezak). Anna, a bright, 38-year-old Korean adoptee, has significant cognitive disabilities, and her household seems to revolve primarily around her moods and needs. Her mother is particularly attuned to Anna’s preferences, medicines and abilities, though clearly both parents adore her. But when she and her father are left alone, the challenges become overwhelming.

Her busy sister Emily (“The Diplomat” star Ali Ahn) flies down from New York to help out, but is almost immediately swamped by the enormity of work required to take care of Anna. And though Bob is devoted to his daughter, he’s in the early stages of dementia, and painfully aware that his ability to assist her is limited.

Sargent’s short film, which also premiered at Sundance, won multiple awards and was screened at the White House. It was tight and powerful, and left a strong impact in its carefully edited brevity. Here, the story feels somewhat repetitive and — despite a thought-provoking finale — lacks the same level of focus. This may leave some viewers to wonder why a short that stood so soundly on its own was turned into a less impactful feature.

Sargent has given us an answer in deeming the film “a call to action to create a world where everyone’s needs are met,” and it’s hard to think of a more worthy ambition. From a dramatic perspective, however, her solid foundation serves to uphold an overstretched structure.

That said, all the actors are wonderful, and Anna Sargent in particular does a beautiful job in her first leading role. It’s also worth noting how adroitly cinematographer Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi captures both the light and dark sides to Florida life, in which the sunniest settings often hide shadowed interiors.

A more robust script would have elevated the project to another level. But with its uniformly memorable performances and unusually persistent compassion, “Take Me Home” serves as a moving cri de coeur.

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