From Jeff Nelson

Documentary filmmakers don’t always make the movie they originally set out to create. This is the case for Tadashi Nakamura, who ended with a transformative journey that will change his perception of family forever. Third Act is most successful when it relents to its open-hearted earnestness without the fear of unpacking difficult and awkward baggage. 

Generations of artists know Tadashi’s father, Robert A. Nakamura, as “the godfather of Asian American media.” Tadashi also became a filmmaker and always wanted to document his father’s monumental career. However, Tadashi pivots the story to explore the Japanese American experience and navigate the gaps in his father’s life that he never knew existed.

The movie title is an obvious reference to Nakamura’s final stage of life, but it’s more than a play on words. Tadashi is reminded of his father’s mortality, especially now that he’s also a father. However, Nakamura has no shortage of personality that permeates through his interview segments. Tadashi too often relies on talking heads that work for general facts, although it pulls away from more heartfelt moments. His mother notes that he doesn’t show his emotions or let people in, and Third Act initially proves her right. However, he slowly lets his guard down. The greatest moments of emotional sincerity come when Tadashi shares the frame with his father and allows their flourishing bond to speak for itself.

The Nakamura name has an immense impact that also imposes heavy restraints. Although Tadashi looks up to his father in many ways, he fears the high expectations associated with his family name. Third Act gives him permission to finally free himself of these deep-rooted feelings that have haunted him since childhood. He simultaneously learns about Nakamura’s depression, insecurities, and unspoken frustrations with his own father. All of this is wrapped in an absorbing dissection of the generational evolution of Asian American life.

Third Act is an exploratory documentary, which acts as a strength and a weakness. Tadashi draws a much bigger picture than he initially intended to capture without abandoning his original vision of highlighting his father’s triumphs. In doing so, he struggles to give adequate time to the exhaustive list of themes he explores within a brief 93-minute runtime. At one point, Nakamura comments on his father’s grave on camera, calling it “not very cinematic.” This captures Third Act, a documentary uninterested in sensationalized storytelling. Rather, it stays true to the heart and soul of the parents we only learn so much about, all within the framework of generational Asian American culture.

Rating: 3.5/5

Third Act played Sundance 2025 on January 26th, 2025.

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