On a String Review (Tribeca Film Festival 2025)

On a String is a musing and authentic film about making it through life after college. Isabel (played by the director, Isabel Hagen) is the viola-playing musician who attended the most highly regarded music academy. Rather than doing what she dreamed of, she winds up playing low-end weddings and funerals and still resides with her parents in New York City. She's gifted but uncertain about what she actually desires—and that is precisely what makes this film so endearing.

The story takes us through Isabel’s everyday life. Nothing huge happens—there’s no big twist or dramatic event—but that’s the point. It shows how hard it can be to feel lost when you’re supposed to have it all figured out. One day, Isabel runs into her ex-boyfriend, who plays in a major orchestra. This meeting makes her wonder if she should try again to follow her big musical dreams or keep playing it safe. Isabel Hagen is wonderful playing a version of herself. She's got some real spontaneity as an actor, and since she is a real violist, the music in the movie looks realistic and intimate. She doesn't have a lot of lines, but her timing and expression are comedic and emotional in this understated manner.

The cast that supports her, particularly Dylan Baker as her dad and Frederick Weller as her ex's dad, adds fire and authenticity to their moments. The movie is brief—only around 78 minutes—but far from frenetic. Rather, it's carefully paced. It's all about the small things that reveal to us how someone is really feeling: stilted conversations, silent rehearsals, and rides on the subway in silence. Although very little "happens," the film really lets us experience what it feels like to be lost and confused, particularly as a young adult trying to discover your place in the world.

The music, played live by Hagen, is a big part of the mood. Sometimes it sounds beautiful, and other times it’s a little off, just like Isabel’s journey. The soundtrack isn’t loud or dramatic, but it fits the quiet tone of the film perfectly.

Overall, On a String is a thoughtful, funny, and realistic look at life after college for artists and dreamers. It’s not flashy, but it’s sincere. Teenagers and young adults who are thinking about their future, especially those interested in music or the arts, will probably connect with this film a lot.

Final Grade: B+
A small, honest film that hits home for anyone who’s ever felt stuck or unsure of what comes next.