It is an inevitability every year for lovers of cinema. You tune in to the film industry’s biggest annual celebration, the Academy Awards, and you reflect on the year that was. You are not only recognizing the best and most challenging works of art, but you are honoring the cinematic landscape at large. Of course, with every high comes an accompanying low. With a soulful, mournful rendition of a familiar favorite tune, a burgeoning ingenue or a respected veteran guides viewers through all of those who have passed away since the last ceremony (if you made it through this year’s broadcast without breaking into uncontrollable tears, you are made of stone).
The ACTUAL inevitable part comes mere moments after the last note concludes, and the detectives on social media start to realize who did not make the cut. If you didn’t make the Oscars’ In Memoriam section, did you really even matter? The aptly titled In Memoriam from director Rob Burnett explores this incredibly niche yet deeply relatable topic with a healthy balance of barbed humor and pathos.
Our conduit to this story is Langston Stanfield, a part that could not be more perfect for lovable grump Marc Maron (GLOW). Langston was once primed to be one of the greatest actors of his generation, but he took a well-paying gig on a TGIF-esque sitcom that nourished him monetarily for five seasons (plus residuals), yet left him unfulfilled with untapped creative potential. Langston has been trying to build his respectability back up in the business, but the bombshell diagnosis that he has around six months to live brings a more important question: Will he make the cut for the In Memoriam section of The Academy Awards?
Anyone who followed Maron throughout the evolution of his landmark WTF podcast for over a decade and a half knows that he transformed from a prickly comedian with a chip on his shoulder to an empathetic softie who gave the world some hope that one can change for the better if they are willing to listen, reflect, and grow as a person. Langston is on a similar journey, albeit on a much more compressed timeline. His singular desire to be included in the In Memoriam is only one symptom of his level of self-involvement. Early on, we find Langston waxing on about the rush of acting when he should be celebrating the birthday of his much younger girlfriend. While her age itself is not an issue, it is one of many red flags of how he has used his celebrity selfishly, which is confirmed as we learn of the many marriages he has ruined for himself and others. He is a self-described “asshole,” but is he irredeemable?
With the help of his new therapist, played with a jovial, nurturing nature by Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Langston slowly starts to consider that there might be something worthwhile outside of his own desires as he wrestles with his impending demise. This patient-therapist dynamic is occasionally written with a bit too much stylistic banter, but Gladstone delivers some pearls of wisdom that land a few well-earned emotional gut punches.
The biggest shift that emerges from this reexamination of his life is an attempt to reconnect with his daughter, whom he had with his ex-wife (Judy Greer, 13 Going on 30), and was asked to stay away. The now twenty-something Maura (Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always) does not take the expected route of anger over his absence, which is a nice change of pace with this familiar plot development. Instead, the two connect over a series of low-pressure meet-ups, which is where the movie feels its most comfortable and natural. While Langston initially sees this as another way to leave a legacy behind, hoping to turn her into an actress with all of his years of knowledge, the pair tap into something deeper that is extremely moving. A couple of different instances of a simple acting exercise allow both Maron and Ryder to deliver some of their finest acting to date, and it is by far the highlight of the film.
Between the impending death of our protagonist and the soul-searching that comes in these waning days, this movie seems like it would be very morose, yet it delivers a consistent string of laughs to make the journey a little easier. Anyone who follows the entertainment industry will have a lot of fun with the inside baseball jokes that skewer the ridiculous nature of fame and show business at large. Maron bounces really well off Michael McKean, who plays his longtime agent who discovered him back in the day. Conversations around the difference in prestige between being honored by The Emmys and The Oscars are a nice example of the satirical edge that balances out the dour inevitability of the subject. The attempted commentary on the influx of influencers taking jobs away from dedicated artists is a bit forced for narrative’s sake, but it does allow for a humorous appearance from Justin Long.
This movie has all of the ingredients to become a new personal favorite, but it cannot quite break through to pure greatness. The direction from Rob Burnett feels as if it is playing things a bit safe, allowing the feature to feel cheaper than it should. Certain sequences look properly cinematic, but there are just as many that have the flat look that has come to be associated with streaming titles that tend ot be rather forgettable, and this film does not deserve that fate. This is compounded by some rocky editing transitions that can be either jarring or undercut the emotions at play in the scene. A quick fade out from a poignant exchange to the end credits feels more at home in a made-for-TV movie rushing to cut time and get to the next programming block. For a story that handles the emotional arcs rather well, the technical execution leaves a bit to be desired.
Even with some elements not living up to the promise of the premise, In Memoriam connects when it needs to. Marc Maron delivers one of the best feature performances of his career, bringing complexity to a character who could easily teeter into obnoxiousness with the wrong performer. His journey of introspection and personal validation is filled with many hilarious moments and heartwrenching breakthroughs. When we find ourselves watching the Oscars again next year, we will be as gutted as always by those we lost, yet we will also now find ourselves smirking at the arbitrary nature of assigning value to a person’s life for a seconds-long immortalization of legacy.
In Memoriam held its World Premiere as a part of the Spotlight Narrative section of the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
Director: Rob Burnett
Screenwriter: Rob Burnett
Rated: NR
Runtime: 118m
Marc Maron delivers one of the strongest feature performances to date in this humorous and emotional look at legacy. The filmmaking occasionally lets down the story itself, but the ensemble is strong enough to elevate the feature to a place that is very moving and enjoyable.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
