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Act One

Play trailer Act One 2026 1h 44m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Hannah Packer, an innocent and sheltered seventeen-year-old, lives for the stage. But when she's not cast in her high school play, her dreams of becoming an actress seem impossible. Until she discovers Act One Studios. Melanie Saunders, the studio's magnetic founder, sees something special in Hannah. A former actress herself, Melanie promises to unlock Hannah's true potential. She welcomes Hannah into The Group, an elite collective of fiercely loyal actors preparing for a major showcase that Melanie promises will change their lives. There, Hannah meets Henry, a charming older student who becomes her scene partner -- and maybe something more. With opening night approaching, Melanie's training grows increasingly intense and her demands of The Group include giving up anyone and anything that stands in the way of her methods. As the line between performance and reality blurs, Hannah discovers how far she's willing to go and what she's willing to sacrifice to become the artist Melanie promised she could be.

Critics Reviews

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Ryan Lattanzio IndieWire 6d
B+
While the setup is more satisfying than the film‘s more conventionally genre-shaped payoff, Takal ends with a hell of a scene that turns the movie on its head. Hannah may have found her truth, but she’s lost herself in the process, quite literally. Go to Full Review Guy Lodge Variety 6d
Most people are not actors, or even aspiring actors, and Sophia Takal‘s eerily askew, drily funny “Act One” thrives on the hunger and anxiety and potential madness of those with an earnest desire to become someone else. Go to Full Review Daniel Gorman In Review Online 2d
It’s fascinating to see an artist return to some of the same subject matter a decade later with an older, more nuanced perspective on the adventurous follies of youth. Go to Full Review Olga Artemyeva ScreenAnarchy 4d
Disturbing and rather smart in its musings. ... An already curious, at times genuinely uncomfortable, and dramatic watch. Go to Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru 5d
A taut and intelligent psychological thriller that can also be seen as a cautionary tale. Ella Beatty should be commended for giving a raw and convincingly moving breakthrough performance. Go to Full Review Rebecca Johnson Nerdspin 5d
B
A dark, slow burner with excellent performances and an unsettling atmosphere throughout that you cannot shake, Act One is a strong thriller etched with sex and power. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Sophia Takal

Director

Ella Beatty

Actor

Ari Graynor

Actor

Nate Mann

Actor

Elizabeth Reaser

Actor

Sinclair Daniel

Actor
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Act One

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Movie Info

Synopsis Hannah Packer, an innocent and sheltered seventeen-year-old, lives for the stage. But when she's not cast in her high school play, her dreams of becoming an actress seem impossible. Until she discovers Act One Studios. Melanie Saunders, the studio's magnetic founder, sees something special in Hannah. A former actress herself, Melanie promises to unlock Hannah's true potential. She welcomes Hannah into The Group, an elite collective of fiercely loyal actors preparing for a major showcase that Melanie promises will change their lives. There, Hannah meets Henry, a charming older student who becomes her scene partner -- and maybe something more. With opening night approaching, Melanie's training grows increasingly intense and her demands of The Group include giving up anyone and anything that stands in the way of her methods. As the line between performance and reality blurs, Hannah discovers how far she's willing to go and what she's willing to sacrifice to become the artist Melanie promised she could be.
Director
Sophia Takal
Producer
Allison Rose Carter, Stephanie Roush, Julie Waters, Julie Christeas, Jon Read, Sophia Takal
Screenwriter
Sophia Takal
Production Co
Foxglove Films
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 44m