Babystar
**Seen at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival
When we first meet the family at the center of Joscha Bongard’s “Babystar,” we think we understand the dynamics. Luca (Maja Bons) is a beautiful young influencer, and she is having fans over to their home as guests; her parents (Bea Brocks and Liliom Lewald) are joining, and recording. Video and pictures are taken, and sponsorships are clear as day. She feels like the star. But the further we get into the film, those initial appearances are not what they seem.
I’m not going to lie- I’ve started to watch reels on the reg. Some with couples making jokes, some with families, some just individuals. It’s a fun distraction for brief bouts of scrolling, but give me long form narratives like movies and TV shows any day of the week. As “Babystar” went on, it made me think that either we’re going to see a generation of narcissists come out of family influencers, or a huge rebellion against influencer culture as some of these kids grow up. The screenplay by Bongard and Nicole Ruthers is almost structured on “The Truman Show,” in a way, and even has the father say, “If I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night,” at one point. The difference is, Luca understands her situation, but when a big familial choice is made, she begins questioning everything about her life. Initially, it feels like typical familial anxiety, but quietly, she recognizes the toxicity of her life, and isn’t sure if she can see it go on.
I am tiptoeing around some plot points not because they have been hidden elsewhere- the poster I use here gives up the revelation I’m hiding- but because the way the film unfolds, we understand the fundamental themes at play, and how they are play into the narrative. Even at 98 minutes, “Babystar” moves fairly slowly, but it’s intriguing in Luca’s journey through the film. Bons is fantastic in giving us the gradual shift in Luca as the film goes on, and Bongard does a very good job of visual storytelling, using actions more than dialogue to get their points across. The more I think about the film I’ve seen, the more intrigued I am by what it does, and the substance with which it develops its story. It’s an indictment of social media culture, and an example of what happens when someone tries to rebel against it. There is also an AI chatbot subplot that is interesting in how it plays out with the story, but “Babystar” is about someone realizing that the spotlight does not reflect life, but sanitizes it. This was a fascinating film to watch.
