Vertical Drama Review: In Love With My Bestie's Son (2026)
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I pressed play for Hannah Record and Felix Merback. I stayed because they absolutely delivered. This was classic vertical chaos at its best.
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Review by Meagan
from RealReelDrama
This one almost falls outside my ranking system entirely.
It feels like a time capsule from 2024 Vertiverse. The “olden” days when the genre was operating in its purest, most self-aware form.
No gratuitous violence.
No plot purgatory.
No exhausting trauma spiral.
Just straightforward, trope lead, heightened drama moving at a confident clip.
The premise is deliciously simple.
Kate, a successful art curator, is preparing a major exhibition for a mysterious artist known only as “Skywalker.” At the same time, her loaf-of-a husband — the type who coasts on her success while taking credit for it — is exposed as a cheater. She’s humiliated, called “old,” and left questioning everything, including her desirability.
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Just straightforward, trope lead, heightened drama moving at a confident clip.
Meagan
Enter her best friend Linda (classic vertical name, no notes), a bar, and a conveniently timed introduction to a supposed “psychoanalyst.” A business card is exchanged. Linda disappears. A young man walks in. It’s Skywalker a.k.a. Chris…who is also Linda’s son. Who is also about to be her rebound lover. We, the audience, know more than Elle does. And that’s where the engine starts. It’s not about mystery; it’s about momentum.
From there, the vertical embraces that beautiful paradox: somehow zero plot and all plot at the same time.
If you tried to summarize every beat, it might unravel. Early decisions guarantee later fallout. Interrupted confessions keep tension humming. But structurally? It’s airtight. I was seated. Curious. Entertained!
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...If my best friend slept with my son? Yes. I would also spiral...
Meagan
And on of my favorite classic vertical plot devices? Layered villains orbiting the heroine, occasionally even teaming up in delightfully implausible ways (my favorite vertical chaos team up). I call it villain stacking and this was the PERFECT representation.
Chris’ BFF Maddy — primary chaos gremlin.
Sophie The mistress — opportunist tier.
Linda The Mom/BFF — emotional obstacle, not true villain.
Steven The Loaf husband — foundational scum layer.
Even the tension between Kate and Linda makes sense. If my best friend slept with my son? Yes. I would also spiral. It’s layered, but it’s light. The antagonism fuels momentum without becoming oppressive.
There’s even a perfectly executed slap scene! The kind of moment that reminds you why verticals exist. The villain goes in for the hit. Elle catches the hand midair and counters with the other. Clean. Satisfying. Efficient. That’s vertical choreography at its best. The pinnacle of all slap sequences and I love to see it.
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What makes this work isn’t complexity. It’s rhythm. It feels predictable in the most comforting way.
Meagan
Hannah Record is luminous as Kate. Vulnerable without fragility, strong without hardness.
Felix Merback leans fully into the boyish romantic escalation, selling the beats without tipping into parody (well, maybe slightly with the “you’re my new mom” energy).
Together, they anchor the absurdity with sincerity, which is probably a lot harder than it looks in a genre built on escalation.
What makes this work isn’t complexity. It’s rhythm. It feels predictable in the most comforting way. You know there will be chaos, you know there will be misunderstandings, you know the villains will stir the pot, and you know, deep down, the emotional payoff is coming. That predictability becomes peaceful rather than dull.
This isn’t prestige storytelling. It’s vertical comfort food. My favorite Chicago deep dish with layers of cheesy, saucy mess. Confident in its tropes, efficient in its chaos, and refreshingly non-toxic. And honestly? I am so happy to see this style back again. This reminded me exactly how I fell in love with verticals in the first place.
Available on ReelShort & FlikReels
Director | Owen Zhengda Qiu
Writer | Jessica Burkhart
Producer | Lukas Haixiao Lu
Hannah Record | Kate
Felix Merback | Chris/Skywalker
Nick Barden | Steve
? | Linda
Casey Williams | Maddy
Katlyn Judd | Sophie
Images used in this article are sourced from the public internet and are presented for editorial context only. All rights remain with their respective owners.
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