[Movie Review] Don’t Trip (2025)

In his feature directorial debut, Alex Kugelman looks to peel back the layers of nepotism and gatekeeping in Hollywood in Don’t Trip. Starring Matthew Sato (Deadly Cheer Mom, Imaginary) and Will Sennett (xX_NOMAD_Xx), and with appearances by Fred Melamed (Bone Tomahawk, The Vigil) and Chloe Cherry (Euphoria, Blood Barn), Don’t Trip follows Dev Ryan (Sato), a struggling screenwriter whose desperation to get his script into the hands of a producer sends him hurtling toward a (comically) tragic end. When Dev sees an opportunity to meet Trip Lefkowitz (Sennett), the self-important son of a major Hollywood movieman, Dev—despite the protestations of his girlfriend Monica (Olivia Rouyre, Slotherhouse, American Horror Stories)—is determined to do whatever it takes to ingratiate himself with Trip and get his film on the fast track to production.

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Dev’s troubles begin when he’s fired from his job as an agent’s assistant after he’s caught cold emailing his script to rival agencies. This sends him spiraling, convinced that the only way for him to move forward is to get his script on the desk of Scott Lefkowitz (Melamed), by any means necessary. When Monica suggests that maybe losing his job is a sign that he needs to try a different tack, Dev doubles down, insisting that she is trying to stifle his dream.

Dev’s perception of the industry highlights the difficult dichotomy that Kugelman puts in his crosshairs. The gatekeeping that Dev struggles against undoubtedly exists in a hyper-competitive Hollywood landscape, but Monica is the voice of reason that Dev refuses to hear. He is so focused on getting an industry bigwig’s approval that he never considers the unprecedented accessibility of independent filmmaking. Sean Baker, Steven Soderbergh, and Danny Boyle have all shot acclaimed films on iPhones and crowdfunding (which Kugelman successfully used to produce this very film) has made financing films easier than ever. Dev scoffs at Monica’s suggestion that he direct his talents toward building a following via YouTube or TikTok, but it’s creators like these that have been making the biggest waves in recent years (see the Philippou brothers, Chris Stuckmann, Curry Barker, etc.). The way Monica rightfully sees it, Dev’s desire to be seen as a starving artist, suffering for his craft, is the only thing standing in his way, not proximity to Hollywood elites. 

But it’s that proximity that Dev craves and so, when he stumbles upon a party being hosted by Lefkowitz’s son, Trip, he makes his plan to introduce himself, and his film, to the eccentric nepo-baby—emphasis on eccentric. After Dev makes an absolute fool of himself desperately trying to occupy the same space as Trip at the party, Trip mistakes him for a fellow recovering addict and quickly latches onto Dev as a kindred spirit. Soon, he is demanding all of Dev’s time and attention, whisking him away on days-long trips with no notice, forcing him to be the butt of Jackass-like skits, and indirectly straining Dev’s relationship with Monica even further. 

Don’t Trip is a darkly funny look at the problems creatives encounter in the film industry—particularly when they are inflexible in their belief that legacy tracks are the best (if not the only) way to get noticed. The deeper Dev gets in his relationship with Trip, the more certain he is that he has to follow through with his plan in order to make it all worth it, all else be damned. The leads are both exceptional in their roles and play off each other well. Sato, in particular, is frustratingly entertaining in his stubbornness, even (or especially) when Sennett’s enormous personality engulfs the two. The polish that Don’t Trip exudes is a testament to its own message. If you have a vision and the drive to make it happen, anything is possible. 

Don’t Trip is available now on Tubi.

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Article by Ande Thomas

Ande loves the intersection of sci-fi and horror, where our understanding of the natural world clashes with our fear of the new and unknown. He is an independent member of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies and a supporting member of the Horror Writers Association. He writes about monsters and foreign horror and can also be found over on Letterboxd.

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