I’d like to think I’d make a decent road-trip companion. I can appreciate a good playlist, I’m usually interested in a questionable roadside attraction and I understand that stopping for snacks is an essential part of the journey. Beyond that, my qualifications get a little thin. If you’re looking for someone to help you sort out your entire life somewhere between gas stations, I should probably warn you that I’m still figuring out my own.
There’s something appealing, though, about the idea that a change of scenery might help you get your head straight. Put enough miles between yourself and your problems, and maybe an answer will turn up next to a billboard advertising the world’s largest something. Of course, your emotional baggage doesn’t stay home just because you forgot to pack a toothbrush.
That hope of finding something out on the road brought me to Crystal Cross, which I saw at the 2026 Nashville Film Festival.
Crystal Cross follows Dotty (Rubyrose Hill), an aspiring Christian singer chasing fame, and James (Richie James Follin), a grieving father who is contemplating ending his life. When Dotty hitches a ride with James, the two begin a cross-country journey filled with questionable decisions, strange roadside attractions and music.
As their unlikely connection grows, they find some comfort in each other’s company, even as the troubles they brought along remain harder to leave behind.
The jokes in Crystal Cross are well placed, with most of the humor coming from everyday conversations, rather than slapstick. It feels like two people just chatting, letting their senses of humor work their way into banter naturally. Dotty is a Southern girl who seems to have lived a fairly sheltered life, and that comes through in her moments of childlike enthusiasm. James is quieter, with a dry sense of humor that plays well against her excitement. The two bounce off each other in a way that makes their exchanges funny without feeling like they’re setting up a punchline.
Rubyrose Hill and Richie James Follin have amazing on-screen chemistry. Watching Dotty and James go from complete strangers to friends and eventually become romantically involved feels like a natural progression. Nothing about their relationship feels forced, and neither performer seems to be rushing toward the next stage. By the time they grow closer, there’s an ease between them that makes it feel like they’ve known each other for years.
There are plenty of religious overtones in Crystal Cross, but the film does a great job of never becoming preachy. Dotty isn’t exactly a devout Christian, but she believes strongly in God and salvation. James, meanwhile, is carrying the guilt of losing a child through his own actions and sees suicide as his only way out. Dotty doesn’t beat him over the head with her religion or turn every conversation into a sermon. She simply shares what she believes without being pushy or overbearing, allowing him room to respond in his own way.
I wish more people approached those conversations like that.
About the only negative I can find with Crystal Cross is that it feels a little drawn out, even at just 88 minutes. From what I found in my research, an earlier cut ran almost four hours, with much of the trimmed material finding its way into montages. I understand wanting to preserve pieces of a larger vision, but several of those sequences felt like they could have been removed without losing anything essential to the story. For me, they slow down a film whose strongest moments come from simply letting these two people interact. It feels like writer-director-producer-composer Follin wanted to hold on to as much as he could, even when letting a little more go might have made the viewing experience stronger.
I give Crystal Cross four out of five stars.
Dotty and James make this a road trip worth taking, with natural humor, wonderful chemistry and conversations about faith that leave room for both people to be heard. I could have done with fewer scenic detours, but I enjoyed spending time with them.
As I said, I’m probably not the person to help you sort out your life between gas stations. But I can bring the snacks, appreciate a little dry humor and listen. This film makes a pretty good case that sometimes, being decent company is enough.