CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! Director Carter Ward’s debut feature, Step Back, Doors Closing, is a charming romantic film about finding love in our contemporary times as a 20-something, where technology and progress sometimes need to be put on hold for a real connection. When we meet Julisa (Carmen Berkeley), she is flying to Washington, D.C., where Ryan (Reilly Walters) has landed home and is planning to meet up with an old friend. Each has an issue, which puts them on a path to connect. Julisa drops her phone in the toilet, and Ryan’s friend bails on him.
Meeting up on the Washington, D.C. Metro, the two strike up a conversation. Ryan, a Washington, D.C. native who knows every inch of the city, is very charming and appealing but just ended a long-term relationship, whereas Julisa, a Los Angeles native, is a bit on edge, having dropped out of grad school and feeling lost.
Since neither of their evening plans worked out, Ryan and Julisa get to know one another in what turns into a 24-hour courtship similar to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise (1995). Ryan has a crafty and witty presence, and Julisa has had very little experience with relationships, yet the two connect. For Ryan, Julisa brings a spark of joy for him where something has died, and for Julisa, Ryan makes her feel comfortable.

“…the two strike up a conversation… in what turns into a 24-hour courtship…”
Ryan shows Julisa the White House from a D.C. native’s perspective, which is groovy and impressive for Washington, D.C. Then a taxi driver playing and singing to Man of La Mancha, a slight metaphor for Step Back, Doors Closing, one of many that brings about how life has a plan that may not be the one you are currently participating in. Ryan’s friends love him, and when he and Julisa find a place to dump their luggage at Ryan’s friend’s house, they drop their guards and learn about each other. Their differing families and interesting friends, especially Sierra (Michelle Macedo), the friend Julisa came to see, make Step Back, Doors Closing colorful and funny. Sierra is an excellent character and support, along with the bonus of being a comic relief.
Step Back, Doors Closing makes D.C. appear very romantic, and in a sense, it is, especially in spring with the cherry blossoms in bloom. Although Ryan and Julisa may seem to be an unlikely couple, the two carry the film along until the end, which is a more realistic ending than one would expect, but we are living in the 21st century, so this is very welcomed. At times, the film drags a bit with conversations that feel sluggish. Well-filmed and planned, along with good cinematography and editing and a decent soundtrack, support Carter Ward’s debut film. Step Back, Doors Closing is sweet and leaves one hopeful about people and an upcoming generation who knows what’s what and can handle. A refreshing indie film spirit lives within Step Back, Doors Closing, which should not go unnoticed.
Step Back, Doors Closing screened at the 2024 Catalina Film Festival.