Beach rats british newcomer harris dickinson makes a stunning impression in eliza hittmans beautifully rendered study of repressed sexuality in unhip brooklyn. As the trailer suggests, there are definite visual hints of harmony korine, especially spring breakers. It stars harris dickinson, madeline weinstein, and kate hodge. Understated throughout, the film boldly concludes while frankie is still processing the fact that his life just changed for ever. The official showtimes destination brought to you by neon. Frankie, an aimless teenager on the outer edges of brooklyn, is having a miserable summer. The brooklyn summer of eliza hittmans superb second feature is an endless fairground ride of cheap highs and long, dragging, wasted moments. Empathetic and powerfully acted, beach rats takes a cleareyed yet.
Eliza hittman has been a sundance film festival favorite since her debut feature a lot like love took park city by storm in 20. Closeted teen hangs with the bros in affecting drama. In beach rats, life and sexuality in limbo the new york. How the sundance film beach rats went from blank page to finished script before it was a film, it was a screenplay. Harris dickinson at an event for beach rats 2017 beach rats 2017. Beach rats, writerdirector eliza hittmans second feature, has a plot, sort of, but the plot isnt really the thing here. Beach rats is one of the boldest films of the year. Frankies fumbled attempt to reconcile his two worlds unfolds with a casual savagery at beach rats climax. Beach rats, eliza hittmans eroticized study of young male bodies and repressed sexuality along the arcades of coney island, owes a sizable debt to the films of claire denis particularly a certain. Her critically acclaimed lgbt drama beach rats followed in 2017. Premiering at the 2017 sundance film festival, beach rats, eliza hittmans second feature is a stunning portrait of a young mans struggle to understand his emerging sexual identity. Through its excellent directing, evocative camerawork, subtle pacing and outstanding lead acting performance, beach rats delivers an immersive portrayal of a teenagers chaotic explorations into sex, drugs, masculinity and independence. Anyway, that has absolutely nothing to do with beach rats, a film about a young man struggling with his sexual identity unbeknownst to his peers and family. Beach rats fulfills the promise of her previous films and takes hittmans career to a whole new level.
He repeats variations on that phrase throughout the film. How the sundance film beach rats went from blank page to. Eliza hittmans 2017 film beach rats already represents a hedonistic time capsule of prepandemic new york. Dramatic competition section of the 2017 sundance film festival, 2 and was theatrically released on august 25, 2017, by neon. One summer not long ago, she followed adolescent deadenders all. Harris dickinson, center, in eliza hittmans second feature, beach rats. Through its excellent directing, evocative camerawork, subtle pacing and outstanding lead acting. As the movie opens, frankie is on the brooklyn boys dating website, where he, tempted but uncertain, looks at the profiles of older guys. The milieu is similar for her latest, stunning feature, beach rats, which opens this week. We get to know him better as he is hanging out with his buddies on a boardwalk. The films premiere at the sundance film festival won hittman the directing award, and it. Beach rats is hittmans second feature film, and follows her debut it felt like love, which premiered at sundance in 20.
With a smoldering lead performance from newcomer harris dickinson, this exquisitely crafted, scrupulously authentic, dark, and dangerous film propels eliza hittman into a league with the greats. Beach rats is a 2017 american drama film directed by eliza hittman. Locarno international film festival, august 12, 2017, golden. Search for screenings showtimes and book tickets for beach rats.
Dramatic section of films for director eliza hittman, making her second feature film. Casting a supporting role in beach rats, a feature film. Ryan was ultimately moved by the film but his personal responses to. A very gritty sex in the city from director eliza hittman sundance 2017. One of those films was beach rats, which ended up landing a directing award in the u. Beach rats theatrical trailer in select theaters starting. That calls back to hittmans debut feature, 20s it felt like love, which follows a young womans sexual exploration to unsettling places. Hittmans first feature, it felt like love, beach rats. This film is being created by a sundancecelebrated and awardwinning team. A closeted teens silent yearnings in beach rats the. He repeats variations on that phrase throughout the film, and part of whats.