Movies: Pools (2025) by Sam Hayes: The Wild, Grieving Quest for Permission
- dailyentertainment95
- 3 hours ago
- 11 min read
Summary of Movie: Searching for Permission in the Shallow End of Wealth
Pools follows Kennedy (Odessa A'zion), whose life has hit a wall following the death of her father. In a desperate, high-stakes attempt to make sense of her loss and find "permission to live her own life," she embarks on a "wild pool-hopping escape" across the elaborate, privileged estates of her college town. What starts as a laid-back, quirky adventure with friends like Reed (Mason Gooding) and Michael (Michael Vlamis) quickly transforms into an emotionally raw meditation on grief, class, and self-discovery.
Movie Trend: Grief Comedy / Indie Coming-of-Age Dramedy. (A quirky narrative that uses an absurd, confined physical journey to explore profound emotional turmoil.)
Social Trend: Mental Health and Grief Acceptance in Youth Culture. (The film focuses on a young person's non-traditional, chaotic response to deep personal loss.)
Movie Director: Sam Hayes - The Intimate Aesthete. (A filmmaker credited with blending "quiet intimacy with raw, unfiltered emotion," particularly through striking visual themes like water imagery.)
Awards and Nominations: Emerging Director Buzz. (The film has garnered 22 Critic reviews and strong independent festival buzz, positioning it as an indie darling for breakout awards.)
Insights for Filmmakers
High-Concept, Confined Setting: The "pool-hopping" premise is highly marketable, providing a visual hook while using a limited set of locations (wealthy estates) efficiently.
Tonal Balancing Act: Successfully merging "goofy cartoon versions" of characters with "genuinely touching moments" proves the value of complex, evolving character arcs.
Insights for Consumers
Guaranteed Intensity: Expect a film that skillfully transitions from a fun hangout movie to a deeply emotional drama.
Artistic Merit: The strong praise for the cinematography and water imagery suggests a visually arresting and unique cinematic experience.
Why It Is Trending: A Fresh, Nostalgic Take on Youthful Angst
Pools is trending due to its ability to evoke nostalgia for classic coming-of-age films (like John Hughes' work) while using a fresh, highly current voice and perspective. The film is recognized as an "instant Chicago cult classic in the making," driven by a potent blend of quirky style, breakout performances, and emotional depth.
Indie Buzz and Fresh Voice: The film is celebrated for its "instantly weird" and "absolutely current and consuming and fresh" vibe, marking director Sam Hayes as a filmmaker to watch.
Relatable Grief Story: The focus on dealing with the loss of a parent through a chaotic escape is highly relatable to young adult audiences navigating complex emotions.
Powerful Visual Metaphor: The "water imagery becomes its own character," suggesting a highly artful and visually memorable film that critics love to champion.
Insights for Filmmakers
High-Concept, High-Risk: Embracing a controversial plot can lead to mixed reviews (as seen by the 5.8 rating) but guarantees initial attention and strong word-of-mouth.
Leverage Local Appeal: Filming in Chicagoland and tapping into that specific indie scene can generate strong regional loyalty and "cult classic" status.
Insights for Consumers
Intimate, Focused Thrill: Expect a film that feels both nostalgic and totally modern—a perfect blend of a teen movie structure with adult emotional complexity.
Discover Powerful Acting: Breakout performances by Odessa A'zion and Michael Vlamis are repeatedly cited as highlights.
Why to Watch This Movie: For the Cathartic Blend of Comedy and Melancholy
Watch this movie for the "raw, unfiltered emotion" expertly woven into what looks like a wild, rebellious college romp. It's a film about finding permission to be happy after loss, a cathartic experience for those who appreciate cinema that doesn't rely on clichés to tell a gripping story.
A Unique Psychological Lens: The pool-hopping is an externalized manifestation of Kennedy's internal struggle for closure and self-acceptance.
The Power of Lead Performance: Odessa A'zion delivers a "magnetic" and deeply human performance that grounds the absurd elements of the plot.
Aesthetic Excellence: The "stunning" cinematography and the metaphorical use of water create an aesthetically distinct and memorable viewing experience.
Insights for Filmmakers
Maximize Metaphor: A simple, repetitive action (pool-hopping) can be transformed into a profound narrative device.
Tone Control: The film demonstrates the success of a "deliberate, but never dull" pacing that keeps the audience absorbed in the emotional journey.
Insights for Consumers
A Thought-Provoking Thriller: It is a film for those who enjoy deeply moving dramas intertwined with escapist, quirky adventure.
Relatable Conflict: The core quest for "permission" is a universal theme of breaking free from perceived duty or past trauma.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/pools (US), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/pools (Canada)
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10343438/
About movie: https://www.poolsmovie.com/
What Trend is Followed? The Anarchic Coming-of-Age Quest
The film is following the trend of the Anarchic Coming-of-Age Quest, where a disillusioned young protagonist rebels against a stifling environment (often wealth or societal expectation) through a single, reckless, and highly symbolic physical journey (like a road trip, a party, or, in this case, pool-hopping). The journey itself is the vehicle for emotional confrontation and self-actualization.
High-Concept Rebellion: The pool-hopping spree is a form of passive rebellion against the adult, wealthy, established order ("down-with-the-rich messaging").
Grief as Catalyst: The quest is given existential weight because it's driven by a need to connect with a deceased figure, rather than just teen boredom.
Aesthetic Over Realism: The movie prioritizes its quirky, idiosyncratic voice and artistic vision over strict narrative realism.
Insights for Filmmakers
Embrace the Quest Structure: Frame the emotional arc within a clear, high-stakes physical mission to maintain pacing and audience engagement.
Subversive Messaging: Use the genre framework to deliver commentary on class or societal pressure.
Insights for Consumers
Part of a Larger Cinematic Conversation: This film fits into the tradition of great youth-rebellion films, offering a fresh, modern entry.
Expect Nuance: The comedy is likely tied directly to the drama, creating a bittersweet experience.
Movie Plot: The Search for a Father's Blessing
The core of the plot is Kennedy's emotional paralysis after her father’s death, which she attempts to solve through a destructive, yet ultimately revealing, act of trespassing and escapism.
Emotional Starting Point: Kennedy’s "whole life falling apart" due to her father’s death.
The Quest for Connection: The goal is to "somehow reconnect with her dead father" and find "permission to live her own life."
The Physical Journey: A "wild pool-hopping escape through the elaborate estates of her college town."
The Implied Trend: The journey mirrors the Anarchic Coming-of-Age Quest trend, using the pool as a symbolic space for baptism, cleansing, and emotional recklessness.
Insights for Filmmakers
The Character-Driven Catalyst: The external act (pool-hopping) must be directly linked to the internal need (permission/closure) for the plot to resonate.
Symbolic Detail: Water and pools are naturally strong visual metaphors for deep emotions, reflection, and cleansing.
Insights for Consumers
A High-Stakes Drama: The emotional stakes are the highest—the protagonist’s ability to move forward with her life.
A Focus on the Subjective: The narrative is driven by Kennedy's unique perspective on grief, making it a highly personal story.
Director's Vision: Sam Hayes' Vision: Haunting Intimacy and Visual Poetry
Director Sam Hayes’ vision is one that seeks to transcend cliché by grounding youthful angst in artful execution. The key is the blending of visual poetry—specifically the recurring water imagery—with raw, authentic emotional performance, achieving an artistic result that is "haunting and breathtaking."
Introspective Storytelling: The director focuses on "quiet intimacy with raw, unfiltered emotion," suggesting a deliberate, character-first approach.
Visual Emphasis: The cinematography is "stunning," with the "water imagery becoming its own character," indicating a high visual focus on texture, light, and setting.
Pacing Control: The pacing is described as "deliberate, but never dull," showing directorial confidence in sustained emotional drama over rapid plot movement.
Insights for Filmmakers
Vision-Driven Production: The artistic use of water imagery is a model for how a production can elevate a simple premise into high art.
First-Time Success: The film’s polished look and feel, even as a debut, set a high bar for emerging talent.
Insights for Consumers
A Distinctive Aesthetic: Expect a film with a clear artistic perspective, focusing on metaphor and visual beauty.
A Personal Narrative: The director’s approach guarantees a film that feels deeply personal and expressive of Kennedy's internal state.
Themes: Grief, Class Divide, Permission, and Self-Discovery
The movie's themes are both personal and sociological, reflecting the conflicts inherent in coming of age within a class-divided society while processing profound loss.
Grief and Unresolved Loss: The central motivation is the desperate need to connect with the dead father and resolve the grief that is paralyzing Kennedy’s life.
Class Divide and Rebellion: The pool-hopping occurs in the "elaborate estates of her college town," providing a welcome "down-with-the-rich messaging" and acting as a commentary on the entitlement of the wealthy.
The Search for Permission: A core, psychological theme is Kennedy's need for external validation or internal release (permission) to move forward.
The Power of Water: Water acts as a thematic element representing cleansing, reflection, and the subconscious.
Key Success Factors: Breakout Talent and Indie Authenticity
The film's success is rooted in its unique voice, the strength of its young ensemble cast, and its ability to deliver genuine emotional stakes within an unconventional plot.
Intense Emotional Performance: The film is lifted by the "magnetic" performance of Odessa A'zion and the solid chemistry of the main trio.
Efficient Storytelling (99m): The runtime is concise, ensuring the emotional arc is tight and avoids being "meandering."
Timely Social Relevance: The film addresses the contemporary discussion around mental health struggles and the economic anxiety of youth.
Strong Critical Backing: The 22 critic reviews and high praise for the director's unique vision show strong industry support.
Insights for Filmmakers
Invest in the Lead: The film demonstrates that a challenging, tonal script can be saved and elevated by a perfectly cast lead.
High-Concept Insurance: A plot that is inherently interesting and controversial will generate interest regardless of initial critical consensus.
Insights for Consumers
Focus on Performance: Prepare to be drawn in by a potentially powerful and emotionally raw lead performance.
A Thinking Person's Thriller: This film is designed for audiences who enjoy movies that use drama to explore deep historical and political questions.
Awards and Nominations: Emerging Indie Darling
The film Pools, given its high praise for its originality and the strength of its lead performances, is positioned as a significant emerging indie darling. While specific major awards are not yet listed, the film is a strong contender for accolades in the independent film world. Potential recognition includes Best First Feature for Director Sam Hayes, nominations for Best Cinematography for its acclaimed visual style, and acting nods for Odessa A'zion in lead performance categories. The film's early box office success of $53,478 is a promising start for a film of this size, confirming audience traction alongside critical recognition.
Insights for Filmmakers
Festival Strategy: Focus promotion on the film's visual and tonal uniqueness to capture "breakout" attention at major indie festivals.
Insights for Consumers
A Future Find: The high critical and user praise suggests this is a high-quality film that will gain greater recognition as it reaches streaming platforms.
Critics Reception: Artful but Alienating to Some
The 22 Critic reviews suggest a consensus that the film is highly artistic and emotionally powerful, but its quirky and idiosyncratic tone may alienate some viewers, leading to a mixed 5.8 IMDb rating.
Source: jeffreymcintyre (User Review/Strong Praise): Notes the film is "artful without being pretentious, emotional without being manipulative," praising the "stunning" cinematography and the "raw, unfiltered emotion."
Source: evanston_dad (User Review/Mixed): Describes the film as a "John Hughes Wannabe" whose "quirky vibe is more irritating than endearing," suggesting the tonal balancing act was not entirely successful for all viewers, but still grading it a "B."
Source: The Hollywood Reporter (Hypothetical): Expected to praise the film's metaphorical depth and the commitment of Odessa A'zion to the unique material.
Insights for Filmmakers
Tonal Commitment: The polarizing reaction confirms that the director committed fully to a unique, highly specific voice, which is preferable to a bland, universally accepted product.
Insights for Consumers
Expect Artistic Risks: This film is best suited for audiences who enjoy unique, stylized, and emotionally complex narratives over straightforward comedy or drama.
Reviews: Instant Classic Meets John Hughes Wannabe
User reviews are extremely polarized—either celebrating the film's "weird" originality or dismissing it as an irritating attempt at nostalgic teen drama.
Source: TahjM-3 (User Review): Hails it as an "instant Chicago cult classic in the making" that "defies expectations," praising the cast as "a revelation."
Source: JK-WhatsUpWeirdoPodcast (User Review): Adored the film, calling it a "Stunner" with "Perfect vibes," successfully blending the tone of Sixteen Candles and Superbad while remaining "absolutely current and consuming and fresh."
Insights for Filmmakers
Word-of-Mouth Gold: The passionate, divided reactions guarantee strong word-of-mouth marketing, especially within the target young adult and indie film communities.
Insights for Consumers
Must-See for Indie Fans: If you appreciate quirky, character-driven films that blend dark themes with humor, this is a strong recommendation.
Release Dates
Theatrical Release Date: September 5, 2025 (United States) Release Date on Streaming: Not explicitly stated, but given its indie status and positive buzz, it is highly likely to be acquired by a major streaming service shortly after its theatrical window.
What Movie Trend film is following: The Neo-Coming-of-Age Film
Pools follows the Neo-Coming-of-Age Film trend, which takes the familiar cinematic language of classic teen movies (the party, the quest, the angst) but grounds them in complex, real-world emotional issues (like severe grief, mental health, and classism) that are typically ignored by the genre. It uses nostalgia for aesthetic, but modern sensibility for theme.
Insights for Filmmakers: This model proves that originality is found not in avoiding genre, but in twisting genre tropes to service a deeply personal and emotional core message.
Insights for Consumers: The film offers a satisfying blend of lighthearted adventure and heavy emotional payoff, appealing to those who grew up on John Hughes but demand more emotional depth today.
What Big Social Trend is following: Youth Disillusionment and the Search for Meaning
The film directly follows the major social trend of Youth Disillusionment and the Search for Meaning in the face of established wealth and perceived broken systems. Kennedy’s rebellion via pool-hopping through wealthy estates is a clear visual representation of this disillusionment, channeling her grief and existential crisis into a symbolic act of class confrontation. Her search for her father’s "permission" reflects a broader societal yearning for guidance and meaning in a chaotic world.
Insights for Filmmakers: Tapping into the anxiety and rebellion felt by young adults provides immediate and intense emotional relevance to the story.
Insights for Consumers: The film offers a cathartic experience for those who feel stifled by societal expectations and are seeking unconventional ways to process pain.
What Consumer Trend is following: Demand for 'Weird' and Idiosyncratic Voice
The film successfully taps into the consumer demand for Idiosyncratic Voice and Stylistic Originality. Consumers, saturated by formulaic content, actively seek out films that critics describe as "weird," "fresh," and possessing an "original and idiosyncratic voice." This uniqueness, even if polarizing (as suggested by the mixed IMDb rating), is often the primary driver for film discovery and cult status in the streaming era.
Insights for Filmmakers: Prioritizing a strong, unique artistic voice over universal acceptance is a viable strategy for cutting through the content noise and capturing a passionate niche audience.
Insights for Consumers: This is a high-value find for consumers actively looking for films that are artistically challenging, visually unique, and stand apart from mainstream Hollywood fare.
Final Verdict: A Visually Stunning and Emotionally Raw Breakout
Pools is a unique and essential entry into the modern coming-of-age canon. Director Sam Hayes masterfully steers the film from goofy comedy into profound drama, anchored by the stunning visual motif of water and the breakout performance of Odessa A'zion. It is an artful, raw, and ultimately cathartic exploration of how a young woman can find the courage to live by seeking permission from the dead.
Key Trend Highlighted – The film successfully executes the Anarchic Coming-of-Age Quest, using the pool-hopping adventure as a powerful, stylistic metaphor for processing crippling grief.
Key Insight – Pools demonstrates that visual poetry and stylistic risk-taking are crucial ingredients for an independent film to generate high critical and "cult classic" buzz.
Similar Movies: Grief, Rebellion, and Escapism as a Search for Self
These films share Pools's themes of utilizing a chaotic physical journey or rebellious act to facilitate the internal, emotional confrontation of grief, parental expectations, or societal pressure.
The Graduate (1967) by Mike Nichols: A classic film about a young man, Benjamin, feeling paralyzed and alienated after college, who engages in an escapist, rebellious affair to cope with his lack of direction.
The Way Way Back (2013) by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash: A poignant coming-of-age story about a shy teen who finds his voice and confidence during a turbulent summer vacation by forming bonds with eccentric new friends.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) by John Hughes: The quintessential "Anarchic Quest" film, though purely comedic, where the protagonist rebels against the adult world by embarking on a structured, high-stakes day of urban escapism.
Final Insight on Market Positioning:
For Filmmakers: Position Pools as a Visually Distinct, Neo-Coming-of-Age Film—a prestige festival acquisition appealing to younger demographics who demand authenticity and artful rebellion.
For Consumers: Marketed as "A raw and breathtaking blend of John Hughes and deep emotional catharsis," appealing to viewers who appreciate indie film, strong female leads, and stylish, thematic storytelling.