Tankhouse Review: A Quirky Love Letter To Theater Kids Everywhere

screenrant.com:

Quirky, funny, and occasionally heartfelt, Noam Tomaschoff's new indie film Tankhouseis an ode to self-expression and theater kids everywhere. This is a movie that is willing to lean into the silliness of its main characters' sensibilities, but also acknowledges the real heart thrumming underneath it all. While the over-the-top nature of the «art» on display might turn off some audience members, Tankhouse is in on the joke enough to make it easy for others to come along for the ride. What Tankhouse lacks in certain areas of character development, it makes up for with genuine laughs and a delightfully eccentric approach to its artsy story.

Avant-garde performers Tucker (Stephen Friedrich) and Sandrene (Tara Holt) are the most extreme type of actors: They believe in true, deep artistic expression above all else, and anything remotely commercial is seen as selling out. Their lives are in New York, but when a performance gone wrong results in them being blacklisted by their company head (Christopher Lloyd), the pair heads to Sandrene's hometown of Fargo to participate in a competition. The winner gets control of the local theater. However, when Sandrene's former teacher (Richard Kind) proves to be a formidable opponent, Tucker and Sandrene's relationship is tested in new ways as they fight to create a theatrical revolution with an inexperienced cast.

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Tankhouse starts out on a whimsical note, with an animated opening conveying how Tucker and Sandrene came to be partners. It gives the film a creative edge early on and quickly eases the audience into this world of «high art.» Tucker and Sandrene favor a very physical form of theater wherein