Quick note: Olympic Dreams is not due out until early 2020. So keep this one filed away as you look ahead to next year’s movies.
Set against a backdrop of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Olympic Dreams presents a fresh perspective on the romantic comedy genre. The story focuses on cross country skier Penelope (Alexi Pappas, herself a former Olympian in track and field) and volunteer dentist Ezra (Nick Kroll). The two meet in the Athlete Village dining hall, with Ezra awkwardly interrupting Penelope as she prepares for her upcoming race.
Penelope’s race is early on during the Games, so when it’s over, she finds herself with lots of time on her hands. She traveled to the Olympics by herself. No family, no friends, no coach or team. She meanders around the Village by herself, where she inevitably bumps into Ezra a few times, who as a volunteer is also there on his own. The form a bond as they both contemplate their respective futures.
Fresh spin on the genre
Olympic Dreams follows some of the same beats and genre tropes we’ve become all-too familiar with in romantic comedies. Two people meet and don’t hit it off at first. But with a little more time, they grow to appreciate, maybe even love, each other. But typically the “will they or won’t they” question is the driving plot point. Here, though, it’s simply a byproduct of Ezra and Penelope’s personal journeys.
With Penelope, we see a unique perspective on the elite athlete life. While she may be a world class skier (she is an Olympian, after all), she’s not among the true best of the best. She dedicated her entire life to this one, singular goal. And now all of a sudden, she may have taken that goal as far as she can. She has to decide whether to try for one more run at Olympic glory, or to call it a day and move on to the next phase in her life.
While she’s dealing with these struggles, Ezra has questions of his own to answer. He has a former fiancée, who he may or may not still be in a relationship with, back home. He enjoys being a dentist, but is thinking it might be time for him to open his own practice. Their budding friendship brings these questions to the surface, using each other to suss out their own uncertainties, wants, and desires.
It’s an incredibly welcome change of pace. With almost every single romantic comedy, you can predict, up to the minute, most of the major plot points. And you know it’s going to end with a happily ever after. But with Olympic Dreams, you can’t be so sure. You’re never quite sure if what Ezra and Penelope have leans more romantic or platonic, as there are heavy hints of both. And there’s the little fact that their time together is happening in South Korea; they each have lives back home to return to. Neither is exactly itching to give all that up for such a short term, albeit intense, relationship. These small little change-ups keep you on your toes throughout, and allows you to stay invested in a way most romantic comedies cannot.
Some nifty film-making
Olympic Dreams not only takes place at the Olympic Village, it literally takes place at the Olympic Village. The IOC granted the crew (director Jeremy Teicher essentially served as a one-man crew) unprecedented access to the grounds. Most everything you see is 100% real. From Ezra’s dental office to the athletes’ dorms to the ski jump and luge course they visit. It presents a very real and intimate setting. Outside of Kroll and Pappas, the movie uses only a small handful of real actors. The rest of the characters are actual athletes, volunteers, employees. At one point a passerby asks Ezra, wearing legitimate volunteer clothing, a question. This was not scripted, the other person was not involved in the movie. It was a real moment that was caught on film by happenstance. And this is not an uncommon occurrence throughout the film.
Delightful and beyond charming
Anchored by excellent performances by Kroll and Pappas, Olympic Dreams gives us a sweet, refreshing change-up to the standard romantic comedies. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they feel as real as any two characters you’re likely to see on screen. When you combine that with the intimate setting of the actual Olympic Village, Olympic Dreams should hopefully be a breakout hit in 2020.
The Verdict: 8.3/10
As of this writing, there is no trailer, so check out this interview with Kroll, Pappas, and Teicher from the 2019 SXSW Film Festival.
According to the IFC website, Olympic Dreams is set to hit theaters and on-demand services on February 14, 2020.