Seamonsters

This poignant film set in a drab, off-season, quintessentially English seaside town invites the viewer into a world inhabited by teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, with all the promise of adventure but with the pressure to grow up emotionally always present.

The action centres around to two mates - the well-adjusted, level-headed Sam (Jack McMullen) and his unpredictable chum Kieran (an extraordinarily compelling Reece Noi) who masks his shortcomings with acts of bravado and aggression.

When a girl drifts into their lives, sexual competition causes tension between the boys, culminating in an event which changes their lives.

With a beautifully-crafted script and hauntingly shot, this film is sensitive study of human relationships on many levels.

Despite not being one for the coming of age genre I found myself completely entranced by this film. I was taken in by the earthiness of it all and became quite attached to the characters and their personal stories even if there were not all 'traditionally' likable. Being set predominantly in an ordinary town with ordinary people highlighted the individual dreams and foibles of the youngsters in totally natural way. Using a coastal location gave the opportunity for some incredibly haunting cinematography which also provided for a sense of foreboding which is pertinent to a large semi-underclass in our time. As with any good multi-dimensional story there is tragedy, though not necessarily where expected, heart- warming elements and quirky characters – the great Rita Tushingham – which all contribute to a very emotionally demanding but realistically uplifting experience.

A friends said I should watch this. It's on Amazon prime in my country. It's about teens growing up in a town by the ocean. There are two best friends who basically have their friendship torn apart when they both meet a girl they fall for. It has wonderful actors and the writing is very poetic at times. I think it captures that period in your life when you are about to come of age really really well. There are drugs and fights and bad language but nothing offensive. Just the typical teen stuff. the director gets great performances form the young cast and it is beautifully shot too. Well worth a watch!

A surprisingly evocative and well-crafted coming-of-age story set in a dead-end British seaside resort, Seamonsters transcends both its budget and its setting to leave its audience with a genuine sense of hope.

Excellent performances, notably from Reece Noi and Georgia Henshaw, as well as some beautiful imagery, lifts it well above the level of a small British indie, and although at times the pace is a little ponderous (inevitably perhaps, because of the sense of boredom and emptiness it strives to evoke) the story is always plausible and authentic.

The end-result is not merely a beguiling study of what it is like to grow up in a cultural backwater, but also an examination of the power of awakening sexuality and its potentially unsettling, destructive effect on friendship.

Loved this movie. The relationship between Sam and Kieran was very well written and performed . Took me back to my youth. Jealousy, love, competition, lust, trust, anger, rage. All those emotions but being unsure how to express them. It had great performances from the leads but also the supporting cast. It's a shame that this film is not more widely available. Obviously shot on a budget but that did not detract from the powerful direction and cinematography. The seaside setting added to the feeling of expectation and hope. I will be recommending to my step kids and nieces who are closer to the target audience and will I'm sure enjoy as much as I did.