“Hekla”

Shot primarily in black and white, “Hekla” is a deeply personal dramedy about the emotional cost of pursuing a creative life. Set over the course of one hectic day in Chicago, the film follows aspiring actress Hekla Gudmunsdottir (Elizabeth Stam, who also co-wrote the film) as she bounces between auditions, headshot sessions, side hustles, theatrical performances, and the lingering emotional wreckage of a recent breakup. It’s a familiar story on paper, but co-writer / director Michael Glover Smith‘s intimate approach gives it an authenticity that feels refreshingly lived-in.

Hekla spends the day juggling four auditions, preparing to perform Lady Macbeth in a dive bar, and trying to silence the intrusive thoughts that keep dragging her back to a relationship she can’t quite let go of. Like many artists, her confidence often feels performative, masking deeper anxieties about self worth, identity, and whether all the sacrifices required by this daily grind will ever pay off. The film captures that uncertainty with a lot of honesty.

Rather than glamorizing the acting profession, the story presents a grounded portrait of a working artist constantly balancing hope and disappointment. The movie understands the quiet desperation of waiting for callbacks, scraping together rent money, and wondering whether persistence is admirable or foolish. At the same time, it never loses sight of the joy that keeps creative people moving forward. The exhilarating moments when Hekla gets to perform, connect, or just feel seen are every bit as powerful as the setbacks.

The film balances breezy comedy with awkwardness, which makes some scenes are laugh out loud funny, particularly as Hekla navigates the absurd rituals of auditions and networking. The shifts between humor and heartbreak feel natural because both emotions are rooted in the same place of caring so deeply about something that offers no guarantees.

Stam’s performance is fearless and natural, probably because she’s drawing from personal experience. She is hilarious when the film leans into comedy and so relatable during its more introspective moments. Stam makes Hekla feel like a real person rather than a collection of indie film quirks, which makes it easier to connect with both her ambition and her insecurities when chasing opportunity.

The film’s black and white cinematography reinforces the documentary-like realism while giving Chicago a timeless quality. The monochrome aesthetic contrasts with occasional dreamlike bursts of color that punctuate moments of emotional release, imagination, and hope. Those colorful interludes provide some of the film’s most memorable images and serve as a reminder of the creative spark Hekla is fighting to protect.

If the film occasionally feels a little too sprawling for its one day structure, that’s largely because it has so much on its mind. There’s a lot to unpack here, but beneath the humor, anxiety, and artistic frustration lies an inspiring story about showing up for yourself when nobody else seems to be.

Intimate and funny, “Hekla” offers a heartfelt exploration of artistic persistence, self worth, and acceptance. Anyone who has ever chased a dream that seemed just out of reach will likely recognize a piece of themselves in the journey.

By: Louisa Moore