08 Feb “Rebuilding”: Media Hearts Max Walker Silverman’s New Movie!
Synchronicity: Simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. Example, the Los Angeles fires and related devastation on the landscape and soulscapes. And Max Walker Silverman’s latest triumph, a story about community, love and hope in the aftermath of – you guessed it – a devastating fire.
Multiple screenings garnered a firestorm of praise from Sundance audiences and media alike for Telluride local Max (born and raised). We are talking standing ovations, in person and in print, for the Telluride homie and his sophomore film, “Rebuilding.” Max’s debut effort, “A Love Story,” also premiered at Sundance and also featured Max’s signature Hemingway-esque style (read low-key, bone dry, on point and moving).
Below find several curated articles and comments that celebrate the super hot talents behind the camera and on screen. Plus a few onsite images shot by Max’s proud mom, Lindsey Walker.
More hosannas are to be found in the cyberverse. Seek and yea shall find…
And please scroll down to hear Max talk about why film in general and this film in particular.
Josh O’Connor and Lily LaTorre appear in “Rebuilding” by Max Walker-Silverman, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jesse Hope.
Max asking cast and crew to stand up at premiere.
Ramzi Bashour (NYU classmate and editor), Max, Juliana Barreto Barreto (NYU and Production Design and fiancee).
NYU panel for “Rebuilding.”
Max and Lily at Cocina de Luz, Telluride, before heading to Sundance.
Max and Lily skating at Telluride before Sundance.
Select Social Media Praise:
COLLIDER / Ross Bonaime
Via X (Twitter): “Rebuilding – Quietly devastating film with a heartbreaking resonance given the recent wildfires. Josh O’Connor gives a beautifully restrained performance, and the ending had me more emotional than any film so far at the festival”
FANDANGO / Erik Davis
Via X (Twitter): “My final in-person #Sundance screening is also the first film that made me cry. Max Walker-Silverman’s #Rebuilding is a somber, yet beautiful film about a rancher (Josh O’Connor) rebuilding his life following a fire that destroys his property. The film’s slow, relaxed pace allows time for the story to wiggle its way into your soul, and by the end I was a bit of a mess.
“Yes, it tackles a devastating, always-timely scenario, but its love of community and family ultimately makes it so those tears of full of optimism, not sadness. That even in the worst of times, we come together and find ways to support one another. It’s a hopeful film that leaves you believing in others and believing in the strength that exists deep within us all. #Sundance”
FANDOMWIRE / Sean Boelman
Via X (Twitter): “REBUILDING left me in tears — something that very few movies accomplish. Max Walker-Silverman has a way with poeticism and elegant simplicity that results in a poignantly beautiful watch. Josh O’Connor is quietly devastating. My clear MVP of Sundance.”
FREELANCE / Carlos Aguilar
Via X (Twitter): “Josh O’Connor never misses. He gives a sublimely tender performance in Max Walker-Silverman’s gentle, gorgeous flower of a film REBUILDING. What a talented filmmaker truly making work from a place of care. I adored his debut A LOVE SONG, so I’m definitely a fan”
FREELANCE / Tomris Laffly
Via X (Twitter): “REBUILDING=sublime. It was worth it.”
GEEK VIBES NATION / Brandon Lewis
Via X (Twitter): “REBUILDING is sublime. A beautifully restrained and gentle Josh O’Connor leads a heartrending story of loss and recovery amidst wildfire destruction, tapping into the power of community and the uselessness of American individualism.”
LOS ANGELES TIMES / Matt Brennan
Via X (Twitter): “I was thunderstruck by Sundance film ‘Rebuilding,’ about the aftermath of a wildfire destroys– and what can sprout from the ashes.”
MAINELY MOVIES / Alyssa Vitale
Via X (Twitter): “REBUILDING is an exceptionally timely story of hope and beginning again. With its incredibly moving post-wildfire tale, this film tells the story of finding connection and community in the wake of tragedy. Josh O’Connor gives a quiet, yet powerful performance. #Sundance2025”
NEXT BEST PICTURE / Ema Sasic
Via X (Twitter): “Fave of the fest so far! Deeply moving & relevant story about finding what matters as you begin again. So natural, no over the top drama & the performances so lived in. Josh O’Connor is subtle but effective & Lily LaTorre is an angel. Love the sense of community too.”
ROGER EBERT / Brian Tallerico
Via X (Twitter): “My fave of the fest so far might be REBUILDING, further proof that Josh O’Connor is making all the right choices. A delicate character study that feels like it truly understands its setting and the people there. And a tearjerker that actually feels more hopeful than bleak.”
No Comments