"Pools" clearly wants to be a John Hughes film for a new generation, but its quirky vibe is more irritating than endearing. This movie is like that person you know who thinks they're way funnier than anyone else does.
Which is a shame, because the film has a lot of raw material to work with. There are some nice performances, especially by Odessa A'zion and Michael Vlamis, both of whom are asked to be goofy cartoon versions of themselves at the movie's start but both of whom grew on me as they were allowed to flesh out more mature characters. There are some genuinely touching moments as we watch the main character come to terms with the grief she feels over losing her dad. There's some down-with-the-rich messaging that's always welcome to this viewer. And there's an attempt to give us an original and idiosyncratic voice.
But unfortunately, the sum never rises to the quality of some of its parts. Frankly, I just felt too old for some of it. Like I'm supposed to think angsting over who's kissing who is dramatically riveting? But I don't really think it's primarily an age thing, because I've seen plenty of films aimed at younger generations that I've responded to quite a lot. I think it's more due to the way the material is handled. I'd be curious to see where this filmmaker goes and would give later pictures a shot to see if they mature.
Grade: B.
