John from Cincinnati
2007
Original language: English
- drama
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
In Imperial Beach, California, the Yosts—a dysfunctional family of surfers—intersect with two new arrivals to the community: a dim-but-wealthy surfing enthusiast and man spurned by the Yosts years ago.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached and salt-crusted, with wide Pacific horizons, weathered boardwalks, and cramped beach-town interiors lit by hard afternoon glare and warm motel-lamp amber. The camera lingers on surfers paddling out at dawn, long hand-held takes that drift with the crowd, and the ocean sounds constantly underneath: hissing wave wash, gull cries, wind over the dunes. The score is sparse and loose, more ambient hum than melody. The vibe is loose, hazy and quietly strange, a sun-drenched melancholy with a current of the uncanny running beneath the surf culture. It suits a lazy weekend, a long beach afternoon, or a slow evening with nothing urgent on the calendar. Pacing is unhurried, with long stretches of talk and drifting observation between sudden shifts in mood. The emotional register is wry and bruised, following a tangle of estranged siblings, parents and outsiders slowly circling one another and reckoning with old wounds. Violence and sexual content appear occasionally and can be abrasive, with some profanity and moments of unease, but nothing is relentlessly grim. It suits viewers who enjoy ensemble character drama, offbeat spiritual undercurrents, and the textured atmosphere of California coastal life.
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