‘Noblestone’ (2026) Review – A Promising Filmmaker Finds His Footing

When one thinks of a “young” director, the first example that comes to mind is Xavier Dolan, the former enfant terrible of the European movie industry. Then more recently, Curry Barker and Kane Parsons, whose latest two horror sensations Obsession and Backrooms changed the moviegoing experience as we know it. Having the pleasure of reviewing indie films and deep-diving into the works of young, talented aspiring filmmakers like Albert Goya, whose latest film Noblestone is a clear example of indie filmmaking as it should be: small (almost nonexistent) budget, non-actors in acting roles, shot over a long period of time, and real-life locations rather than movie sets. One of the interesting facts is that he’s 19, having just turned that age at the end of shooting this film, bringing to mind Dolan’s ambitious first films, Goya could also hone his craft to become as prolific, or even have a longer career than Dolan’s. 

The film tells the story of a reclusive woman who lives in a fancy country house and hires an eccentric maid to live there with her. The conversations that follow and the events that unfold make for a campy, ridiculous, minimalist picture that is highly ambitious yet uncertain of where it wants to go. There are some technical problems, but because of the indie, low budget nature of the film, they could be easily disregarded. This is a promising second feature from Goya, although, as a small note, he should focus on sound design, as this element of filmmaking could elevate a film, raise it to the highest levels, or take down some really powerful other components that have been working brilliantly together. Major sound problems appear in the film, with the soundtrack drowning out the characters’ voices. The sound problems arise in other instances, with the volume being inconsistent, loud and clear at times, and painfully hushed at others. I found myself struggling to understand what the actor is saying, especially since this is a dialogue-heavy movie.

In proper indie fashion, Goya’s sister, Lucia Goya-Betts, plays both characters, the artist and the housemaid. She truly succeeds in playing the artist, but the housemaid character is way over the top (intentional as one could see from the director’s vision, but albeit too on the nose with its purposefulness). Even as a character relying on the comedic farce, Betts’ housemaid doesn’t really work and everytime she’s on screen, one would beg she would disappear, especially with the high pitch tone and the egregious makeup. 

It could be to make it easier for Goya-Betts to separate both characters, since she is not a trained actress—her background is in music—but still the filmmaker’s directions could have helped her to have a more minimal approach to playing different characters, while convincing the viewers of that. The latest example that comes to mind is Tilda Swinton in a dual role in The Eternal Daughter, where she subtly separates the moher/daughter personas in two chilling performances. Hopefully one day Goya-Betts would be on that track to mastering her craft and honing it to improve her capability, because there is a lot of potential in her much subtler role as the artist/homeowner.

As for Karen, the housemaid, it seems that Goya is obsessed with this recurring character in most of his previous work. But it’s time to move on. As a young director he still has a lot ahead of him to discover new muses and come up with fresher stories. The film lacks a bit of a coherent structure as well, and at times one struggles to decipher what emotion the director is trying to evoke in the viewer. But it makes for an enjoyable viewing experience, simply because Goya’s style is unmatched.

Noblestone has that film-school graduation project feel to it, a tongue-in-cheek analysis of whether a person meets themselves at a particular time in their lives, and what to make of this. It may not be the strongest that the young and ambitious Goya has to offer, but as critics it is our role to educate, guide, and encourage, rather than simply deconstruct an artist’s years-long work.

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