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‘Anchors Aweigh’ Review: A Cynical Comedian Reflects on His Youth in an Abridged Mockumentary
Confirmed
In Short: In the film, a cynical comedian, played by Barats, reflects on his personal growth—or lack thereof—after a failed proposal.
Matt Barats' 'Anchors Aweigh' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 18, 2026, at the TIFF Lightbox at 3:15 pm.
Barats revisits old college footage, weaving a narrative that is both self-mocking and emotionally reflective.
Critics at Variety noted that 'Anchors Aweigh' feels stuck between an idea for a short sketch and something more emotionally detailed, suggesting it lacks the depth to fully explore its premise.
Barats' previous film, 'Cash Cow,' about a struggling actor waiting for royalties, set the stage for 'Anchors Aweigh,' which continues his theme of self-mockery and personal reflection.
In 'Anchors Aweigh,' Barats' character rents a boat at a New York airport marina, gesturing toward a mockumentary in the vein of John Wilson, or a send-up of Ross McElwee.
Damn, I’ve been an idiot for so long!' is Barats' accurate, unsparing takeaway from his character's journey.
The wide release date for 'Anchors Aweigh' remains to be announced.
Background
Anchors Aweigh is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A.
What's confirmed
- After honing his confessional-cringe style with Cash Cow, a film about a struggling actor waiting for some Domino’s advert royalties to roll in while he wallows in a tent in Mormon country, Barats returns with Anchors Aweigh, a smart film about cluelessness.
What's still developing
- In Matt Barats ’ “ Anchors Aweigh,” a caustic alt-comedian is left adrift after his failed proposal, prompting him to revisit old footage from his college days and ruminate on his arrested development.
- 18, TIFF Lightbox (3:15 pm) Wide release: TBD Genre : Comedy Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: A lovably awkward comedy that keeps you on your toes Comedian Matt Barats writes, directs and stars as an exaggerated version of himself in the documentary-style movie Anchors Aweigh.
- It’s easy to draw the comparison to Nathan Fielder’s awkward comedy — after all, Anchors Aweigh is brought to you by Abso Lutely Productions, who produced Nathan For You — but Barats’s comedy feels more reserved than ridiculously shocking.
- Anchors Aweigh excels at finding humour in the small moments and providing unexpected laughs.
- This is all necessary context for Barats’ new directorial effort, Anchors Aweigh, which takes bits of that concept to new heights with a fresh source of mockery.
- It's never a better idea to review last season's performance along with offseason news to identify potential early-round targets that will serve as the anchors of your fantasy team.
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- A comedic slice of life from comedian Matt Barats By Karen K.
- ScreenAnarchy and TheFilmStage also reviewed the film favorably, highlighting Barats' confessional-cringe style and the humor found in small moments.
- While 'Anchors Aweigh' is produced by Abso Lutely Productions, the same company behind 'Nathan For You,' critics noted that Barats' comedy is more reserved compared to Nathan Fielder's.
- NEXT Magazine's Tran reviewed the film positively, giving it four out of five stars and praising it as a 'lovably awkward comedy that keeps you on your toes.
- Perhaps you don’t know American writer, director, and comedian Matt Barats, nor one of his primary projects over the past decade: the REVERIES series.