A24 has released the first trailer for their eagerly awaited drama,Janet Planet, which starsJulianne Nicholson. The film is directed byAnnie Bakerin her feature directorial debut, set in rural Western Massachusetts during the summer of 1991. The story centers around 11-year-old Lacy, who spends her summer at home, captivated by her own imagination and the attention of her mother, Janet. As the story unfolds, three visitors enter their lives, each becoming mesmerized by Janet’s captivating nature, as demonstrated in the trailer. At the heart ofJanet Planetis the deep relationship between Janet and Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), showcasing an intimate bond through moments of care and shared experiences. The movie also starsElias Koteas, Sophie Okonedo, andWill Patton.
Baker’s feature debut has been highly anticipated. She is a highly acclaimed American playwright known for her meticulous attention to detail, authenticity in dialogue, and deep exploration of character and relationships within her works, which has evidently translated very well to the screen.Baker won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play,The Flick, in 2013, which was set in a run-down movie theater and delves into the lives of three underpaid movie ushers, capturing their conversations and interactions in a way that highlights the beauty and significance in the mundane.
Is ‘Janet Planet’ Worth Seeing?
Evidently, yes. The movie has been met with critical acclaim so far,standing at an 83% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and one review referring to the film as “a miracle of a debut” for Baker.Collider’sChase Hutchisonraved about the movie, and particularly the performances of Nicholson andZiegler, who plays Lacy.
Just as credit must be given to Baker for how she so completely captures a moment in time and place,it is Nicholson who inhabits this world so naturally that you feel like you’re just peeking in on Janet’s life. There is never a moment where you aren’t completely enthralled with the way everything progresses, even when we are far removed and not able to hear what she is saying. Some of this comes from how genuinely great Ziegler is at authentically expressing the awe we experience when young, giving one of the best debut performances in recent memory just based on some of her line deliveries alone. However, it is also when we step away completely into the outside world near the end thatJanet Planetachieves something transcendent.
Janet Planetis set to open in select theaters via a platform release on July 12, 2025. you may check out the trailer above.
Janet Planet
In rural Western Massachusetts, 11-year-old Lacy spends the summer of 1991 at home, enthralled by her own imagination and the attention of her mother, Janet. As the months pass, three visitors enter their orbit, all captivated by Janet.
