The Salamander King Review: Austin Nichols Delivers a Riotous Love Letter to Austin, Texas

Ryan Hansen and Adrianne Palicki lead a hilarious fight to save their beloved golf course in The Salamander King.

Austin Nichols makes a tremendous directorial debut with The Salamander King, a hilarious, heartfelt, and oddly poignant tribute to the city he calls home. Having built a steady career as a recognizable face across TV and film, Nichols steps behind the camera for the first time—and you can feel the love in every frame. Premiering this weekend at the Dallas International Film Festival with two well-received screenings, The Salamander King captures the weird, wonderful heartbeat of Austin, Texas, and throws it into a delightfully slacker comedy that feels like a mashup of Caddyshack, PCU, and One Crazy Summer.

Set against the backdrop of a cherished municipal golf course under siege by tech-driven redevelopment, the film follows golf pro Ray (Ryan Hansen, Veronica Mars) and his crew of lovable misfits as they scramble to save their beloved community hub. Hansen nails the everyman hero energy, but it’s Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) who brings the emotional complexity, playing Sam, a redevelopment prodigy torn between progress and preservation. The film smartly pits heart against ambition, the old Austin spirit against looming corporate takeovers.

Nichols captures Austin’s character better than a tourism campaign ever could—shining a light on local gems like Wimberley and Blue Lake, and showcasing the city’s infamous mix of creatives, freaks, and dreamers. It’s a cinematic scrapbook of barbecue joints, dive bars, music venues, and DIY Americana before they’re swallowed by tech industry bulldozers.

From cosplay river parties to football field brawls to beer-soaked dive bar singalongs, The Salamander King offers a funny, rowdy, and deeply affectionate portrait of the city and the communities trying to hold onto what matters. The entire ensemble—right down to Reggie Bush’s hilarious turn as Dan Starling—feels like they could anchor a TV series, and that’s meant as high praise.

While it’s easy to fall into comparisons with other classic summer slacker comedies, The Salamander King still feels fresh because it’s so rooted in a real place, a real fear, and real people. Nichols isn’t just making you laugh—he’s reminding you why places like Austin matter, and why stories about underdogs fighting for their corners of the world are timeless.

We hope The Salamander King gets the promotional love it deserves because audiences are going to eat this up—especially those craving something fun, genuine, and soulful between blockbuster seasons. As Nichols makes clear, sometimes the biggest battles are fought with golf clubs, best friends, and the stubborn refusal to give up your weird little slice of the world.

4 out of 5 stars

Director: Austin Nichols

Screenwriter: Drew Mackintosh

Producers: Jennifer Kuczaj, Christian Sosa, Jon Wroblesk

Executive Producer: Paul Merryman

1st AD: Vince Palmo

Cinematographer: Peter Kowalski

Editor: Brian Scofield

Cast: Ryan Hansen, Adrianne Palicki, Dulce Sloan, Justin Chatwin, Reggie Bush, Temple Baker, Bill Wise, Brad Leland, Joe Hursley, Lilit Avagyan, Bobo Hoang, Christopher St. Mary