Potato Dreams of America

Two very strong performances anchor “Potato Dreams of America,” Seattle-based filmmaker Wes Hurley’s thought-provoking dramatization of his childhood in his native Russia and, later, as a teen in Seattle.

It’s entertaining, and even sexy at times in ways that are distinctive and inventive.

The film, sweet as it is, fails to strike a manageable or engaging enough tone as it treads some overly familiar territory...

The dream in Potato Dreams of America remains more fantastical, dramatic, than rooted in reality. Such fantasy is part of what makes the film such a good watch, as well as an emotional one.

The story behind the film is engaging and worthy, but in overall execution, it feels uneven.

The very existence of Potato Dreams of America is its own happy ending: It's a calling card, at least, that prompts curiosity over what stories, or whose stories, Hurley will tell next.

After getting great reviews after its world premiere at SXSW in 2021, Potato Dreams of America continues to make people laugh.

Although uneven, it’s exciting to see a fresh, new voice like writer/director Wes Hurley.

A giddy gay fantasia on Russians leaving for the Promised Land, a romp bubbling with wit, wry commentary and visual DIY visual invention. Thats how it begins, anyway.

There is something so remarkably endearing in the film, the performances, and its overall execution that simply screams an infectious heartfelt optimism.