Chaperone: Drifting Through Adulthood, Searching for Connection

Written and directed by: Zoë Eisenberg

Starring: Mitzi Akaha, Laird Akeo, Kanoa Goo, Krista Alvarez, Jessica Jade Andres, and Ioane Goodhue

Run Time: 1h and 60 mins

Rating:  N/A

Where to watch: VOD

Release date: October 3rd, 2025

A Story of Arrested Development

Every so often, a film comes along that makes you reflect, not because of its flashiness, but because of its insistence on the flaws and contradictions that make us human. Chaperone is one of those films. At its center is Misha (Mitzi Akaha), a woman who is both frustrating and deeply relatable, navigating life without passion or ambition but clinging fiercely to the small connections that give her meaning.

Misha resists “growing up” in the conventional sense. She shows up late to work, declines a promotion, and lives in a home her family urges her to sell. What motivates her is not career or ambition but intimacy, whether through her beloved cat, Princess Diana, a reminder of the love and support Misha doesn’t receive from her family, or her complicated bond with Jake (Laird Akeo), a high school athlete. In many ways, she embodies what’s often called “Peter Pan Syndrome,” a refusal to step into long-term commitments, choosing instead to stay adrift in the present. That companionship fills the void of pressure and expectation. However, her choices, avoiding responsibility, lying about her age, and deflecting serious relationships, are what make her so relatable, and at times, infuriating.

A Reflection of Our Times

The film caters its themes by grounding Misha in a reality that feels achingly familiar. In a volatile job market, where young people juggle instability and burnout, and in a dating culture defined by fleeting connections, her reluctance to grow up doesn’t feel entirely irrational. She mirrors a generation suspended between survival and fulfillment. We’ve been there or are currently going through it.

Still, Misha is not always sympathetic. Her detachment often shades into selfishness. She deceives Jake about her age, letting him believe she’s still in high school. Her unreliability erodes the trust of those around her. Yet when her evasions spiral into consequences she can no longer control, the film captures the devastating cost of suspended adolescence. It is in those moments when the fallout of her choices becomes impossible to ignore that her vulnerability resonates most deeply.

Performances That Reveal the Cracks

Akaha’s performance as Misha is compelling in its restraint. She embodies the character’s drift with nonchalance, like a piece of wood carried by the current. Her expressions and posture carry as much weight as dialogue, capturing the sense of a woman who is suspended in time. Crucially, she looks young enough to make Misha’s deception plausible, which gives the character an unsettling credibility.

Akeo, as Jake, is charming and convincing as a student-athlete. His maturity sometimes exceeds Misha’s, creating a dynamic that makes their relationship both intriguing and uncomfortable. Their chemistry is understated yet charged, as Misha’s guarded emotions clash with Jake’s earnest yearning. You can see why he’s drawn to her, even as the audience recoils from her dishonesty.

A Sense of Place and Belonging

What elevates Chaperone beyond its character study is its sense of place. Shot in Hawaii, the film doesn’t treat the setting as a backdrop but as a living part of the story. The small-town streets, modest homes, and lush greenery echo Misha’s drift, grounding her contradictions in a vivid environment.

The cinematography often shifts in tone, calm and warmly lit when Misha is with Jake, more restrained and subdued when she’s alone. Natural sounds, such as the wind through the trees and the water lapping at the shore, amplify the film’s grounded intimacy. Music by Taimane, infused with local instruments and rhythms, adds to the film’s cultural specificity, making it feel rooted in its AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) identity.

The Beauty and Cost of Standing Still

The pacing is deliberate, mirroring Misha’s own inertia. This isn’t a film of big plot twists or explosive drama; it’s a slow drift punctuated by choices that gradually reveal their consequences. It’s the kind of movie best experienced with others, not only to stay engaged but to spark conversation afterward.

That conversation may be its greatest gift. Chaperone doesn’t give easy answers. Instead, it asks us to sit with Misha’s contradictions, her yearning for connection, her evasion of responsibility, her tenderness, and her selfishness. You may not always like her, but you understand her. And maybe, in some uncomfortable way, you even recognize her.

Recommended Watch?

With its outstanding performances, textured setting, and portrayal of a woman adrift, Chaperone is worth seeking out. It’s not flawless, its slow, deliberate unraveling may frustrate viewers expecting a more traditional payoff. However, as a reflection of our cultural moment, where growing up feels increasingly delayed and where connection can mean everything and nothing at once, it hits close to home.

I give Chaperone a 6.5 out of 10. It’s a film worth watching on demand, not only for its character study and atmosphere, but also for the conversations it will spark afterward with friends, family, or even yourself.