A breath of fresh air comes to theaters featuring predominantly good vibes of young romance and the coming of age. The comedy Ethan Bloom jumps right in from the start with the protagonist’s outlook on life. However, achieving it he’ll have to realize that there is more to relationships than a religious upbringing. An excellent rom com for teens, but an even better example for the mature family.
Ethan Bloomfield (Hank Greenspan) has been dealt a confusing hand and has trouble playing all the right cards to help him choose the right path. With the passing of his mother, the Jewish teen and his father are working out the unexpected fate they have been given. Having friended Christian Father Diaz (Carlos Ponce) as a mentor, Ethan has been leaning toward that form of religion. Adding to his complicated life is his Christian girlfriend Camille (Caroline Valencia) and he feels SHE will make the perfect date for the Prom. Things get even more complicated when Rabbi Dani (Rachelle Lefevre) gets wind that Ethan has been avoiding his Jewish bar mitzvah and has committed to a Catholic confirmation instead.
Moving the film along at a nice pace, Director Herschel Faber opens up a complex new world, as he maneuvers actors between two strong willed religions. He keeps his audience off guard through most of the film until he finally shows his winning hand with a touching gelling of Christian and Judaism.
What shines the brightest is the performance by lead star Hank Greenspan who Faber molds into an inquisitive teen that deals with more than just a heavy loss, but a very challenging decision. Greenspan has been around for some time being a gifted child star and then moving on from there. As his first starring role, he knocks it out of the park with a sincere, yet comical interpretation of Ethan at several levels.
Ethan Bloom has not been rated by the MPAA so be cautious when deciding to allow immature children to see the film as it does have some scenes that are inappropriate for youngsters. The film was shot in Miami, Florida. 5 Stars for young adults to Grandma and Grandpa.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Hank Greenspan, Joshua Malina, Carlos Ponce, Rachelle Lefevre, Mindy Sterling, Caroline Valencia
Directed by: Herschel Faber
Written By: Maylen Dominguez
Genre: Comedy, Young Romance, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hr. 35 min.
Opening Date: February 28, 2026 at Movies of Delray and March 1st and South Florida Theaters at Coral Gables Art Cinema in Miami.
Distributed by: Menemsha Films
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
