Sometimes life feels like it’s getting away from you. It’s in those times that connection, and a way out, can come from the most unlikely of places. That’s the case with Little Wing, a new film now streaming on Paramount+.

Kaitlyn (Brooklyn Prince) is a young woman in crisis. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s depressed, and now her mother, Maddie (Kelly Reilly), is having money troubles and looking to sell their house. That means, just after the school year ends, Kaitlyn might have to move. That leaves her rankled and bitter.

After she’s given two racing pigeons by a family friend, Kaitlyn finds a possible way out. Her friend, Adam (Che Tafari), shows her an article about a famous pigeon racer, Jaan Vari (Brian Cox), whose prize bird is worth more than $100,000. Kaitlyn and Adam hatch a plan to steal and sell the bird and raise enough money to save her house.

Nothing works out as planned. The theft goes poorly, Adam and Kaitlyn have a falling out, and she doesn’t get enough to save her house. Worse yet, Jaan finds her. But what looks like a potential disaster turns into something else. She not only finds a friend but finds a sense of passion and purpose when she connects with her own birds.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Little Wing. It starts as a sweet, simple story. Prince is engaging and the cast is solid. But it felt straightforward, until it wasn’t. Somewhere along the way, this unlikely friendship between a struggling teen girl and an aging man at a crossroads became something more.

The second half of the film has a nice hook. The back-and-forth with Kaitlyn and her brother, Matt (Simon Khan), is fun and heart-warming. The unexpected friendship with Jaan becomes an emotional heart of the film as well. There’s also some fun sequences back-and-forth with Kaitlyn and her mother.

I ended up engaged and moved as the film came to its conclusion. It tackles some big themes with grace, offering solid performances from Cox and Reilly in support of a nice lead performance from Prince. This is a heart-warming film that’s worth checking out.

Little Wing is now streaming on Paramnount+.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.