‘Lemonade Blessing’ Trailer – Chris Merola Serves Up a Sacrilegious Coming-of-Age Drama

A good Catholic boy meets a rebellious atheist girl in Lemonade Blessing, the sharp coming-of-age comedy-drama from writer-director Chris Merola.

The film follows John Santucci, played by Jake Ryan, as he enters a strict private Catholic high school and falls for Lilith, a rebellious classmate portrayed by Skye Alyssa Friedman.

Jeanine Serralles stars as John’s devout mother, Mary, with Miles J. Harvey, Michael Oloyede, Todd Gearhart, and Keith William Richards also featured in the cast.

Lemonade Blessing first premiered in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival and is coming to U.S. theaters as a roadshow release beginning in September, with the distributor Antenna Releasing currently listing theatrical screenings beginning September 16 in New York City.

According to the official synopsis, “Freshly tossed into private Catholic high school by his recently divorced mother, John must go from good boy to heinous sinner when he falls for a girl who requires him to commit sacrilegious acts in order to further their relationship.”

Writing for New Jersey Stage, critic Eric Hillis praised Lemonade Blessing for avoiding the usual pitfalls of the teen sex comedy, writing, “Lemonade Blessing is both bawdy and blasphemous, as upfront about teenage sexuality as a Porky’s movie and taking its share of pot shots at the more ridiculous elements of Catholicism. But unlike typical teen sex comedies it doesn’t shame or objectify its female characters. Instead we’re asked to laugh at the blatantly misogynist messages John and his classmates receive from their teachers when it comes to the double standards of male and female sexuality.”

Watch the official trailer for Lemonade Blessing above.

Roadshow Schedule

september 16th // brooklyn, ny // nitehawk cinema
september 21st // woodstock, ny // assembly
september 22nd // catskill, ny // community theater
september 25th // new york, ny // TBD – FULL NYC RUN
october 1st // los angeles, ca // laemmle cinemas – FULL LA RUN
october 12th // houston, tx // river oaks theater
october 17th // atlanta, ga // tara theatre
october 20th // jacksonville, fl // video ghosts
october 22nd // miami beach, fl // o cinema