Brigham Young University grad Cole Webley’s debut feature, Omaha, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and its final 20 minutes stunned its audiences.
In the wake of the 2008 economic crisis, his wife’s death, being evicted and having little money, a father (John Magaro) wakes his daughter, Ella (Molly Belle Wright), for a family road trip. Also included are his son, Charlie (Wyatt Solis), and their dog, Rex. The father attempts to make the journey from Nevada to the Midwest fun with kite flying, ice cream and more, but his continual brooding and frustrated phone calls tell Ella a different story. Like the car she helps him push down the road to start, her dad is worn out. His mood shifts regularly — solemn to joyful to mournful.
“He plays this father who really has to walk this tightrope act of empathy and grief and torment and dwindling mental health if you will, and this crisis of moments,” Webley told us about Magaro, whose strong performance is complemented by Wright’s emotional portrayal and Solis’ natural playfulness. (There seems to be no end to Charlie’s poop jokes, lightening the mood in a heavy film.)
The movie’s title is just a slight hint to the family’s destination.
Utahns will recognize scenes featuring Helper, the Great Salt Flats and our mountains. But any joy you find in pointing out those familiar spots you saw on your own road trip must be balanced with stills of an abandoned home, forlorn children and a desperate father that will stay with you.
Robert Machoian, known for his 2020 Sundance film The Killing of Two Lovers, wrote Omaha. While a fictional story, he told filmgoers at Sundance he was inspired by an NPR story he came across. While some who also heard the story responded with judgment, others put themselves in the shoes of the subjects to gain some understanding. Omaha is worth seeing to find where you stand.
Read our interview with Webley for more on the film and his career.
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