Rachel Abigail Holder explores the ever-changing landscape of a New York City borough and tangled relationships in “Love, Brooklyn,” playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting Sept. 19. This intimate drama, which unfolds with quiet nuance, was an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and was winner of the Favorite Feature Narrative award at the 2025 Black Star Film Festival.
At the heart of the talented ensemble cast is Roger (André Holland), a writer struggling with a magazine article he has been commissioned to produce about the changing nature of Brooklyn. He is a melancholy soul, often cycling through gentrified Brooklyn, riding through Fort Greene, and passing through Bedford-Stuyvesant. As the film begins, Roger vents to Casey (Nicole Beharie) over dinner at an upscale neighborhood restaurant about the loss of the original excitement he felt when he first moved to New York City. Reminding him that they’ve known each other for a long time, Casey reassures Roger that he will find a way to overcome his writer’s block.
However, we also learn that Casey is struggling professionally. A large real estate development company is vying for the building she inherited after her grandmother’s death, which Casey has lovingly built into a chic art gallery since graduating from college. The nature of her and Roger’s relationship is unclear as the meal progresses. There is a casual ease between the two. Are they just friends, or is there something more going on?
Later that night, Roger gets a call from Nicole (DeWanda Wise) inviting him over for one of their frequent rendezvous. After their lovemaking, Nicole reminds Roger that no matter how well they get along sexually, she is not his girlfriend. Nicole is a newly single mother, having lost her husband when he died in an accident. But perhaps she stubbornly holds firm boundaries to protect a wounded heart. Into the mix is Nicole’s daughter, Ally (Cadence Reese), who is deeply curious about their relationship. Although she wants to connect with Roger, when a stranger mistakes him for her dead father, Ally rejects him.
The film also serves as a love letter to Brooklyn, showcasing its renovated brownstones, lush parks, and softly lit restaurants and bars. Yet we are carried along by the story, which centers on the ever-shifting nature of the love triangle that overlaps in complex and layered ways. While the three initially play the game of keeping things casual, we are left wondering if this can last. Holder keeps us guessing about what will occur next. All the characters dance with the themes of love, commitment, and intimacy in their own unique ways, as they try to figure out what they truly desire. While they grapple with the shifts that unfold in their lives and relationships, the city spaces they inhabit are undergoing subtle transformations of their own.
“Love, Brooklyn” will screen at the M.V. Film Center starting Sept. 19. For tickets and more information, visit https://mvfilmsociety.com/2025/08/love-brooklyn/.