Synopsis
Over the course of one night, a woman drives across LA with her heroin addict brother in search of a detox center, with his two-year-old daughter in tow.
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Cast
- Abbi JacobsonKatie
- Dave FrancoSeth
- Charlotte CarelElla
- Madeline CarelElla
- Jane KaczmarekGloria
- Dawan OwensJack
- Tim MathesonGary
- Jen TullockBianca
- Maya ErskineCameron
- Heidi SulzmanPharmacist
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
You can’t help feeling that something terrible will happen at any moment, unless something worse happens first. - 75
RogerEbert.com
It is incredibly difficult to love an addict. Not only does their addiction continuously define the dynamic of your relationship, but they are like a drowning man, able to take you down with them as they flail their arms and fight for air. Rarely has a film captured this better than Marja-Lewis Ryan’s 6 Balloons. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Anchored by Jacobson's touchingly layered turn as a dutiful enabler, this risk-taking piece has an effectively anxious, naturalistic feel (it was inspired by producer Samantha Housman's own experience), with Franco bringing credible charm and desperation to the messed-up Seth. - 67
The Playlist
As striking as some of these performances are, 6 Balloons is not without its problems. At a barebones 74 minute running time that doesn’t dive into the emotional texture as much as it could, 6 Balloons at times, feels slight. - 67
Consequence
As a mood piece and character portrait, 6 Balloons is a strong debut for Ryan. But though it doesn’t overstay its welcome, by the time the credits roll, 6 Balloons feels like it still has more to say. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
What stays with you is Jacobson’s grippingly understated lead turn, which promises a fruitful screen life beyond Broad City. - 50
IndieWire
Based on the experiences of producer Samantha Housman, 6 Balloons is too short and stunted to leave much of an impression, but the film convincingly illustrates one of the core truths about addiction: It doesn’t really give a shit about your agenda. It’s chaos, it cares only about itself, and it feeds on collateral damage.
