Kids Like Me [Tribeca Festival Review]

by Mike McGranaghan

Kids Like Me is so sweet and uplifting that you may find yourself crying happy tears at the end. Screening in the Documentary Competition section of the 2026 Tribeca Festival, the film follows a remarkable 12-year-old named Oliver. He’s a special needs kid with a great imagination, fueled by the murder mystery books and TV shows he enthusiastically absorbs. Directors Cynthia Lowen and Jon Cohrs track Oliver’s attempt to write, direct, and star in his own movie, with a little help from his family, friends, and one very recognizable star whose identity I won’t give away.

Parents Casey and Chad visibly do everything they can to give Oliver as normal a life as possible, despite his ambulatory struggles and his trach. He’s got a sister, Willa, five years younger but several inches taller, with whom he has a definite love/hate relationship. (It’s cute how she clearly doesn’t like the fact that the documentary is about him, not her.) Scenes of the family trying to hold it together amid various struggles are interspersed with those showing Oliver as he goes through the process of developing his film, which appropriately revolves around the efforts of the brilliant Detective Oliver to solve the murder of a game show host.

Here’s the basic thing about Kids Like Me: within five minutes of meeting Oliver, you’ll be ready to follow him across the face of the Earth. He’s occasionally frustrated by his limitations, although that feeds into his insistence on pushing past them. Armed with a charming personality and a sarcastic sense of humor, Oliver is someone you can’t help admiring. You will be rooting for him to fulfill his dream for every second of the documentary’s 88-minute running time. Too often, we focus on what people with special needs can’t do when we should be focusing on what they can. This young man is a prime example of why it's essential to do the latter.

Heartwarmingly, there are plenty of folks willing to chip in to help Oliver. He casts people he knows, including Willa, in the film. The documentary team even helps him acquire a professional studio with an experienced crew. What emerges is a reminder of the power of kindness. Although the initial inclination may have been trying to do something nice for a special needs kid, it is ultimately Oliver’s passion for the project that drives those around him. He’s inspiring.

Kids Like Me doesn’t shy away from the heavier times. There are sibling fights, health setbacks, and a middle school graduation that goes sadly off the rails. Painful moments make the triumphant ones even more emotional, though. This is the kind of documentary that asks viewers to remember that beauty exists in the world, even when we might not be inclined to see it. Oliver is the perfect subject for that message, and I hope he never stops chasing his dreams.

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