The Wasteland Reviewer

Love, Brooklyn (2025) Written Review

How deeply can a place mean to someone? So many films have explored the beauty of different countries, cities, and sites and the impact it has on the people who inhabit it. One of the most popular and beloved settings must be New York City. This massive metropolitan area is diverse, varied, and full of culture. There are even different areas that have all their own feeling and perspective as well…including Brooklyn. This part of “The City” has its own culture and is filled with all types of different people trying to live life to the fullest and make their way. Director Rachael Holder (through the words of screenwriter Paul Zimmerman) explores the complex dynamic between three Brooklynites. 

How does Holder highlight this neighborhood and bring life to this layered romantic drama? There is subtlety and finesse that makes the film have such a moving and tender atmosphere. The way the camera moves around in Holder’s film is quite engrossing and a little hypnotic. The framing of each shot feels so controlled and precise, making this look so beautifully photographed. Martim Vian, the cinematographer, has such a great eye for the city and the world surrounding the characters. There is a texture feeling to every shot that captures both warmth and sleek contemporary feeling. There is maturity and refinement that Holder can boast for her directorial effort. The film is smooth as the finest glass of wine and has that level of class as well. The pacing is effective and the whole experience feels pregnant with emotion and feeling. From the opening shot to the final one, it is hard not to be grabbed and pulled in by the impressive technical work of this crew. 

Does Zimmerman’s writing, story, and characters leave as much of an impression as Holder’s inspired direction? There are plenty of layers to the character study that is Love, Brooklyn. Our protagonist is Andre Holland’s Roger who finds himself stuck in a romantic quandary. He has a former flame who is now his closest friend, Nicole Beharie’s Casey. He also has a budding relationship with a recently widowed, single mother in DeWanda Wise’s Nicole. This romantic triangle is full of love, fire, and challenges. Roger is a compelling central character who has plenty of love to give but lacks the focus to know where most of that love should go. He is stuck straddling a fence between Casey and Nicole which threatens a future with both. Casey has a similar uncertainty to her which muddles her relationship with Roger. She advises him on his relationship with Nicole while also struggling to contain her obvious feelings for Roger. Nicole’s story is more layered and challenging as she balances the loss of a husband she truly loved and the effects of his death on her daughter, Cadence Reese’s Ally. The deeper Roger gets into this new relationship, the more the pressure cracks open Nicole’s true feelings and insecurities. All is great when they are more physical (which those scenes are quite fiery for sure), but the evolution of this dynamic elevates this love triangle past some of the tropes Zimmerman relies upon in structuring this tale. 

Does this talented cast bring the most out of Zimmerman’s script? Holland is one of the most under-appreciated actors working today and his performance highlights the intensity he brings, the insecurities that get in Roger’s way, and the struggle he is navigating. The whole cast is led by this authentic and committed performance by Holland. He has great chemistry with both Beharie and Wise (which makes the friction in this triangle so intense). Beharie’s performance is filled with feelings that are pushed underneath the surface, but she does a great job of letting them creep up. Every time she is on screen with Holland, we wonder why Roger and Casey never worked. Wise brings a performance that is so strong and confident that makes her feel like such an alluring figure in Roger’s life. There is a scene later in the film where she lets her feelings take over yet is still able to be so commanding and strong which leaves such an impression on Roger and the audience. Roy Wood Jr. delivers a fun and engaging performance as Roger’s friend Alan who fills a void of some comic relief along the way. Kudos to Reese who delivers an authentic and moving performance as Nicole’s daughter who is the key to a few big emotional moments in the film. 

Is Love, Brooklyn a worthwhile romantic drama to check out? Holder crafts such a beautiful representation of this borough which makes for such a great settling for the love and passion to flow. The dynamic trio of Holland, Beharie, and Wise electrify this cinematic experience in a way that makes it hard to deny. Sure, there are tropes and familiar beats at the core of Zimmerman’s story, but the strong themes and strong character work fleshes them out in such a poignant way.