“A webpage that counts down to a movie release.”
    Not an app. Not a startup. Just a janky react/tailwind page.

Maybe part of the problem is trying to bite off more than you can chew, spinning up React and Tailwind for what could be a single HTML element, a CSS style rule or two, and a few lines of plain JavaScript code is a symptom here. This is like taking a cruise ship on a canoe trip and then complaining that it's too time consuming and difficult. Start simple, start small!