Rounding

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1:33

Rounding

2025

1h 30m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

After a traumatic incident during his residency, young medical student James Hayman (Namir Smallwood) transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start. Observing that James is struggling and having difficulty connecting with patients, Dr. Harrison (veteran stage and screen actor Michael Potts) suggests he take a class focused on bedside manner and facilitating deeper relationships with patients. The demons of James's past begin to catch up with him when he becomes consumed by the case of a young asthma patient (Sidney Flanigan, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS) with mysterious symptoms. His grip on reality starts to slip as his disturbing nightmares, anxiety-fueled speculations, and physical injuries collide with the harsh realities of the world of medicine. Director Alex Thompson assembles a strong ensemble of veteran character actors in his follow-up to SAINT FRANCES -- and precursor to GHOSTLIGHT -- in this humanist and unconventional genre vision.

Critics Consensus

Even though Rounding doesn't fully live up to its best expectations, this psychological drama creeps under the skin thanks in part to Namir Smallwood's winning performance.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

05/08/2025

A beautifully executed film. Very moody and gets pretty scary.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

02/15/2025

All of this is handled skillfully enough by the director. But his script crams in too many red herrings and logic gaps for the story to bear.

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Nina Metz

Chicago Tribune

02/14/2025

3/4

While Smallwood’s character as written is essentially reactive, the actor’s facility with charged stillness sets the tone. This is not full-on scare stuff; it’s more interior.

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Codie Allen

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 18

6.5/10

In the end, Rounding feels like a missed opportunity. The film captures the overwhelming pressure of medical residency—where exhaustion blurs the line between obsession and reality

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Hannah Cronk

Film Threat

03/12/2025

8/10

A chilling blend of paranoia and supernatural horror.

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Charles Johnston

Spectrum Culture

02/20/2025

A creepy and unsettling drama that manages to weave an intriguing web of mystery while highlighting the very real psychological toll associated with a career in health care.

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Feb 1

Rounding presents itself as a psychological medical drama with strong potential, following a doctor and his staff as past trauma resurfaces and begins to interfere with his professional life. On paper, the premise suggests an emotionally driven and suspenseful story, but the execution never fully delivers. The biggest issue is the screenplay, which moves at an extremely slow pace and struggles to build momentum. Scenes often feel stretched out, repeating the same emotional beats without adding meaningful development, making the film feel frustrating rather than immersive. While the idea of confronting past mistakes could have been powerful, it is never explored with enough depth to truly connect with the audience. The cast delivers competent but uninspiring performances, with no standout presence to elevate the material. Direction and editing remain basic, offering little visual or emotional impact. Overall, Rounding feels like a missed opportunity, dragging toward a payoff

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Nov 12

A case of misleading marketing that’s pure psychological but resultingly necessary as a medical drama unveiling a somewhat empathetically pressuring angle in the profession through humane tendencies. Still, however, wrongly drawn and delivers truly little towards the misaligned takeaway. (B-)

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Craig W.

@CJWolfe27 Oct 9

Starts slow but but picks up at the end. Good acting as well. Don’t know why they put this in the horror genre it’s more of a drama. Worth a watch

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Alex Thompson

Director

Namir Smallwood

Dr. James Hayman

Sidney Flanigan

Helen Adso

Michael Potts

Dr. Emil Harrison

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Karen Adso

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Rounding: Trailer 1

1:33

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Synopsis

After a traumatic incident during his residency, young medical student James Hayman (Namir Smallwood) transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start. Observing that James is struggling and having difficulty connecting with patients, Dr. Harrison (veteran stage and screen actor Michael Potts) suggests he take a class focused on bedside manner and facilitating deeper relationships with patients. The demons of James's past begin to catch up with him when he becomes consumed by the case of a young asthma patient (Sidney Flanigan, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS) with mysterious symptoms. His grip on reality starts to slip as his disturbing nightmares, anxiety-fueled speculations, and physical injuries collide with the harsh realities of the world of medicine. Director Alex Thompson assembles a strong ensemble of veteran character actors in his follow-up to SAINT FRANCES -- and precursor to GHOSTLIGHT -- in this humanist and unconventional genre vision.

Director: Alex Thompson
Producer: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Leah Gaydos, Julianna Imel, Edwin Linker, Alex Thompson, Ian Keiser
Screenwriter: Alex Thompson, Christopher Thompson
Distributor: Doppelgänger Releasing
Production Co: Runaway Train
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 14, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2025
Runtime: 1h 30m