'Jane’s Not Here' is the Slow Burn Audiences Expect from DWF:LA - Review
Making its world premiere at “Jane’s Not Here,” is a slow burn indie film DWF:LA is known for an audiences put there phones down, taking notice.
Making its world premiere at Dances With Films Los Angeles (DWF:LA) on Sunday, June 21, 2026, “Jane’s Not Here,” is an independent film that talk down to its audience. Writer-director Jonathan Oster doesn’t rush to explain every plot point, like a Netflix original. Instead, he lets the emotional weight of the story guide the experience, resulting in a thoughtful psychological drama that’s ultimately more interested in family than suspense.
“Jane’s Not Here,” follows Jane Hayes (Amelia Barr), a woman who wakes from a months-long coma after a train accident convinced she has a husband and young son. The problem is no one else remembers them. Her family, doctors and everyone around her insist they never existed, forcing Jane to question whether she’s holding onto memories or something far more complicated.
One of the rare times I enjoy a non-linear narrative, “Jane’s Not Here,” gradually pieces together Jane’s search for the child she knows she had. While the mystery keeps the story moving, the film’s emotional center lies elsewhere.
This film is about the bond between a parent and child and how love can endure through grief, loss and uncertainty. Oster’s personal connection to those themes gives the film an authenticity that’s difficult to miss.
In his director’s statement, Oster says he wrote the screenplay while grieving the death of his father, shot the film while awaiting the birth of his daughter and completed the edit during her first months of life. Those experiences became intertwined with the story, which explores not only memory and identity, but also the ways family shapes who we are.
Amelia Barr delivers a knockout performance as Jane. She never overplays the character’s emotional unraveling, allowing the audience to stay connected to her even as the film blurs the line between reality and perception. Jane is easy to root for because Barr approaches her with warmth instead of melodrama.
Steve Mallers also stands out as Jane’s brother, Brady. As Jane’s, primary source of support after she awakens., Brady becomes the only steady presence in a world built on uncertainty. The relationship between the siblings gives the film some of its strongest emotional ties, reinforcing the idea that family isn’t defined only by who we lose, but by who remains standing us.
Oster wore several hats, serving as writer, director, composer, casting director and co-editor. An ambitious workload for someone who believes in his own vision, which the film benefits from a clear, one-sighted vision throughout.
World premiering at at DWF:LA, “Jane’s Not Here,” is the kind of character-driven independent filmmaking the festival continues to champion. It tells a deeply personal story while exploring universal themes of grief, parenthood and resilience.
To purchase films for “Jane’s Not Here,” at DWF:LA visit: https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-janes-not-here/.
“Jane’s Not Here,” at DWF:LA on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at TCL Chinese Theatre.
TCL Chinese Theatre is located at:
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
4.5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½