Figuring out what to do in life is rarely a journey ventured in a straight line. In Sam Haynes’ tender coming-of-age debut feature Pools, that uncertainty is captured through a group of pleasure-seeking summer school students. Leading them is Odessa A’zion’s impulsive college slacker Kennedy, distracted by the recent death of her father and the estrangement of her friend Delaney (Ariel Winter). Kennedy would rather keep her head submerged underwater rather than buried in a textbook.
Drawing inspiration from The Breakfast Club to The Swimmer, Pools follows Kennedy as she has one night to decide what to do with her life. After one warning too many from the stern but patient Dean Lewis (Suzanne Cryer), Kennedy is given an ultimatum: turn up to her next class or face expulsion from her Chicago college. A’zion stirringly captures Kennedy’s comic whirlwind of anguish, compulsion, and instability.
Rather than throw herself into her studies, the grief-stricken misfit ops for a more chaotic farewell, rallying a group of eager peers to pool-hop through the area’s most affluent homes – partying as if tomorrow will never come. Joining Kennedy for this adventure is gym-obsessed Reed (Mason Gooding), Reed-obsessed Shane (Francesca Noel), chronic study worm Blake (Tyler Alverez), and Kennedy’s old, hesitant friend, Delaney.
While the film dips its toe into melodrama during the more cliched moments, the script, also by Haynes, mostly balances its heartfelt and humorous tone. As the night goes on, each of these mishaps swim further from normality and closer towards understanding each other. Equal parts wild, messy, charming, and funny, Pools dives underneath its hedonistic antics to tell an honest story of freedom, acceptance, and self-discovery.
Also in orbit of the story is air conditioner technician Michael (Michael Vlamis), a proud blue-collar worker who’s also down on his luck. After a rocky first encounter with Kennedy, their reunion later in the film gives Pools its most earnest and affecting qualities. In forming an unexpected connection, the two strangers unearth each other’s fears, struggles, and even hidden parts of themselves. While this unfortunately sidelines the larger ensemble during the second half of the film, Kennedy and Michael’s chemistry is refreshing and grounded. It swaps a conventional romance for the joy of two people in transition helping each other evolve.
Visually, Pools is far beyond the shallows. Ben Hardwicke’s textured cinematography luxuriates in both the reflective blues of the water and a grainy colour grade, amplifying the intoxication of the ensemble’s late-night revelry. As things get emotional, tears blend seamlessly with water droplets.
Tucker Marolf’s clever and quick editing proves just as engaging. An early sequence finds the Dean distracted from her duties as she ogles Michael’s muscles and his handyman prowess – the camera gleefully pans, zooms, and cuts with cheeky confidence. This mischievous style continues throughout, capturing the chaos of Kennedy’s infectious antics with a playful balance of reflective drama and comical craft.
Pools is a reminder that coming-of-age doesn’t have a defined start nor end point in life. It’s equally willing to linger with Kennedy’s submerged grief as it does embrace the frantic comedy of her sprinting, tripping, and tumbling through life with her friends. With a delightful central performance from Odessa A’zion and great support from Michael Vlamis, Pools is an amusing but genuine reminder to take control of your life in unexpected ways.
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