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DANCES WITH FILMS ’25: Narrative Feature

Title: Universal (2025) Director: Stephen Portland Writer: Stephen Portland IMDb Plot: A couple of academics enjoying a romantic break in a remote log cabin find their stay interrupted by someone who has tracked them down, seeking their help with what could be the biggest discovery in history… Joe Says: Universal packs a wallop in plot but the tight confines and limited cast prevents the story from breathing.

Sometimes, small interruptions can lead to large revelations. A tiny diamond ring can be a prelude to a lifetime of togetherness. A knock at the door can open up to a wide outside. And a small series of numbers on a laptop screen have the potential to be world changing. Likewise, the indie sci-fi comedy Universal by Stephen Portland seeks to discuss large truths about life, the universe, and everything with a principal cast of three. And he mostly succeeds.

Universal starts as a romantic getaway for two overworked academics, Leo and Naomi — blissfully nerdy, on the brink of engagement. The promise of no WiFi leads to suggestions of proposals to come. But all of that quickly detours into high-stakes genetic code-cracking when a third party shows up. Ricky is a lone, self-styled “code breaker” who might have made a discovery using Leo’s research in the field of Junk DNA. From there, the film pivots from rom-com to armchair philosophy to low-budget science thriller in the time it takes to boil a kettle. Or three.

Portland builds a good case in and, like in all good mysteries, cleverly mixes in his feints and reveals. Naomi’s reading material, Andy Weir’s third novel, is a subtle, well-placed clue. But at times, Universal’s dialogue-heavy construction feels like his actors are reading from a PowerPoint deck. To counter that, Portland throws in some relational dialogue spiked with Gen Z sex talk. Even this, though, comes across with the sense of a first-draft table read that is not quite ready for prime time let alone rudely funny.

But stick with it. The resolution is intergalactic. 

Leo and Naomi are played by Joe Thomas and Rosa Robson respectively. They are the heart of the film and, thank the movie gods, their chemistry is smart and snappy and feels lived-in. They nail the larger-than-life — and overblown — dialogue. 

Kelley Mack plays Ricky, an on-the-spectrum character who not only stages an interruption to a romantic weekend, but whose guesswork findings could disrupt… history books. Mack delivers a performance that levels social awkwardness while posing as a narrative wrecking ball.

Portland packs a wallop in plot but the tight confines and limited cast prevents the story from breathing. The comedy could be funnier. The romance sexier. The research convos could have slid more into Aaron Sorkin The Social Network patter and less Star Trek: Discovery geek speak. Yet, this is an indie feature with an obvious indie budget. Portland wrangles his direction and screenwriting admirably. But there is a mountain of exposition that requires rappelling over. 

As such, the movie sometimes mistakes “intellectual” for “interesting.” 

But here’s the thing: Universal swings for the fences. Portland tries to thread the needle between dinner party philosophy and speculative sci-fi, between Netflix-and-chill romance and grad seminar debate. The effort is commendable. Narratively middling? Yes. Talky? Definitely. But this is the kind of production that underneath the static scenes truly has an electrical current that is all wild and zappy. Portland just needs to hone his grounding technique. And for that alone, this little indie flick earns its stars — not for decoding the universe (or even playwriting), but for daring to make the story while shooting for the constellations. 

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Be sure to check out Universal and many other indie films during the Dances With Films fest.