Facing Life's Current

A reflection on what Cha Cha Real Smooth taught me about growing up

I saw Cha Cha Real Smooth today, and it pulled me straight into a Cooper Raiff wormhole. By the time I finished Shithouse, (his other film), I felt cracked open, like both films had reached into a quiet, unlit part of me and switched on the light. There’s something about the way Raiff tells coming of age stories for people like me, people in their early twenties, standing on that fragile edge between who we were and who we’re supposed to become.

Firstly, I really want to focus on the masterpiece that is Cha Cha Real Smooth. The heart of its plot is about a young man named Andrew, a recent college grad who’s stuck in a dead-end post-grad job, feeling the weight of that awkward stage: Well, I graduated… Now what the hell do I even want to do with my life?

What pulled me in right away was how deeply empathetic Andrew is. He’s the kind of person who puts his own needs on the back burner, constantly prioritizing the people he loves. It reminded me of that line Sam says to Charlie in The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

“You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can’t. You have to do things.”

Andrew does this a lot. His college girlfriend moves to Barcelona, and he half-decides he wants to follow her, but deep down, you can sense that’s not really what he wants. Then, a series of unexpected moments leads him to meet Domino (interpreted by Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), at his little brother’s friend’s bat mitzvah. There’s an immediate spark, not just romantically, but humanly. Domino is drawn in by Andrew’s effortless kindness, his ability to get Lola dancing, to revive a quiet party into something vibrant.

This becomes his side gig: the party starter. But watching him, I couldn’t help thinking about the metaphor underneath. Andrew is so busy lifting everyone else up, making sure their parties come alive, that he hasn’t stopped to ask himself: What about mine? What makes me happy?

That question hit me hard. It reminded me of the aching confession in Smartest Man by Homeschool (feat. Samia): “I wanna go divin’ / Or get struck by lightnin’ / So I can feel the current in my hands.”

That raw longing to feel something, anything, again, to shake yourself awake. Andrew is aching for that current, just like so many of us are.

But the truth is, you can’t outrun the parts of yourself you avoid. There’s a line from Jean Dawson’s “Clear Bones” that circled in my head while hearing:
“The devil on my shoulder burning my face / Tryna’ make me unsafe / Tryna’ take my life, hell is gonna have to wait for me.”

There’s so much fighting and fragility in that line, the push and pull of trying to keep yourself afloat while feeling like something is always pressing in on you, trying to tip you off balance. Andrew carries that tension quietly, always smiling for others while inside, the question lingers: What now? His family encourages him to put himself out there, creating more pressure.

I won’t spoil too many details for anyone who still wants to watch (and you absolutely should), but the message that stayed with me is this:

There’s a deep, steady peace in being honest with yourself about what you actually want and following through with it.

Whether it’s telling someone how much they mean to you. Letting go of a job or a version of yourself that no longer sparks joy. Or maybe most importantly, holding onto hope even when disappointments or goodbyes come your way.

That’s where Hovvdy’s “Tools” feels like the perfect closing echo:
“Do you have the tools? / I don’t think you do.”

Because honestly, how many of us do? We’re all just figuring it out, piecing together what we need, hoping we’re building something that will carry us through. Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual, even though we sometimes wish it did. It’s up for us to decide if that can be a beautiful and a freeing thing or a path to self-destruction and stagnation.

If you’re like me, if you’re in need of a hug or just something that snaps you out of the fog and makes you feel something, Cha Cha Real Smooth is the film for you. And remember: you are always, always deserving of the same grace you give to others.

Sincerely,

Sofía