Newness

Drake Doremus returns to Sundance with another intimate look at young love gone haywire, this time tackling the peculiar pressures of dating in the app era. Newness follows Martin (Nicholas Hoult), a divorced pharmacist, and Gabi (Laia Costa), a Spanish physical therapist new to Los Angeles, as they tumble into a whirlwind romance after matching on a hookup app. But instead of settling into domestic bliss, they decide to open their relationship, convinced that honesty and freedom will keep the spark alive. What follows is a slow-motion unraveling of trust, jealousy, and the nagging fear that novelty might be the only thing holding them together.

Doremus shot the film in just 22 days, working without a fixed script and relying on improvisation workshops to build the chemistry between Hoult and Costa. The result feels raw and unpolished, like eavesdropping on real arguments and whispered confessions. Keegan DeWitt's score shifts from ambient synth to minimalist piano, mirroring the emotional whiplash. While critics praised the performances, many found the second half meandering, and the film earned a mixed 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, for anyone who has ever wondered if swiping right can lead to something real, Newness offers an uncomfortably honest mirror.[edit]

Martin Hallock spends his evenings like most single Angelenos: thumbing through profiles on a dating app, looking for a quick connection. A divorced pharmacist in his late 20s, he lives alone in a modest apartment, still nursing the wounds from his failed marriage to Joanne (Jessica Henwick). Gabi Silva, a Spanish expat working as a physical therapist, is equally adrift, new to the city and searching for something that feels less lonely than her empty apartment. When they match, their first date turns into a passionate night, and before long they are inseparable.

Their relationship accelerates quickly. Martin and Gabi move in together, trading late-night texts for shared mornings, and for a while it feels perfect. But both carry deep insecurities. Martin fears repeating the emotional distance that ended his marriage. Gabi worries that the intensity will fade into boredom. To keep things fresh, they make a pact: they can sleep with other people, as long as they are honest about it. The arrangement is supposed to liberate them, a modern solution to the ancient problem of monogamy's slow decay.

Martin's best friend Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler), a cynical pharmacist, warns him that the plan is a disaster waiting to happen. Gabi's friend Blake (Courtney Eaton), a free-spirited artist, encourages her to explore without guilt. Soon Martin starts seeing Bethany (Pom Klementieff), a confident woman who challenges his assumptions about relationships. Gabi connects with Larry Bejerano (Danny Huston), a charismatic art gallery owner who offers a different kind of attention. The film cuts between their separate adventures, showing how each encounter chips away at the trust they promised to protect.

Jealousy creeps in through small cracks. Martin notices Gabi's phone lighting up at odd hours. Gabi senses Martin pulling away during intimate moments. Their open arrangement, meant to prevent boredom, becomes a source of constant anxiety. They argue about boundaries, about what counts as cheating when everything is supposedly allowed. The digital world amplifies every insecurity: social media likes, late-night messages, the endless parade of potential partners just a swipe away. Martin and Gabi find themselves trapped between the comfort of a stable partnership and the thrill of something new, unable to commit fully to either.

The narrative builds toward a breaking point where they must decide whether their love can survive the very technology and culture that brought them together. Doremus uses handheld cameras and long takes to capture the raw, unfiltered moments of their unraveling. The film refuses to take sides, presenting both characters' perspectives with empathy. By the time they hit rock bottom, the question is no longer whether they can stay together, but whether they even know what they want.[edit]