SUNCOAST -- A Moving and Well-Acted Coming-of-Age Film

Review by Camden Ferrell

Suncoast is a new coming-of-age film that had its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. This is the directorial debut and full-length feature writing debut of Laura Chinn. This movie as inspired by events from Chinn’s own life and family, and it is lead by up-and-comer Nico Parker who won the Breakthrough Award at Sundance for her performance. While some might be turned off by the movie’s unwillingness to address the more pressing issues presented, Suncoast tells an emotional and entertaining story of adolescence that is elevated by standout performances.
 
Doris is a shy girl who has spent most of her childhood caring for her terminally ill and disabled brother. As her brother enters hospice care, she finds herself clashing more with her mother while also getting a taste of traditional teenage life with a group of kids at her school. She also meets a caring older gentleman who is at the hospice center who is there due to a controversial case of one woman’s right to die. This is a personal story for the director, and she does a great job of imparting her own unique experiences into a genre that can sometimes feel repetitive.
 
Chinn’s script is sharp and lays the groundwork well for the main narrative. Her dialogue is well-written and captures the different complex relationships and events that Doris encounters throughout the movie. The scenes involving Doris and her mother are especially captivating and highlight her skills as a writer. The script also introduces some interesting ideas about the politics of religion and death, but it only ever skirts the surface of those issues. This shortcoming of the script may be seen as a flaw to some viewers, but I think this is a rare instance where I think playing it safe really allows the movie to flourish in the areas it does best. 

One of the most notable things about this movie is its cast. Featuring veterans like Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney, who both give great performances, the real highlight is Nico Parker. Leading a film like this is no small task, and she delivers on every front, a feat that’s even more impressive given that she was still a child when this movie was filmed. She knows how to balance the uncomfortable, awkward, and frustrating stages of adolescence while balancing it with more tender and subdued moments of grief. It’s a role that allows her to show off her range, and she does it gracefully.
 
While playing it safe worked in the movie’s favor at times, it can still feel like it’s hitting beats we’ve seen hundreds of times before. It doesn’t try to defy genre tropes or tinker the formula much, and this can lead the movie to feel like it’s not living up to its full potential. Regardless, this is still a tightly paced movie that doesn’t overstay its welcome at all. It may not elevate beyond the constraints of coming-of-age movies, but it still contently sits among some of the better entries in recent years.
 
Suncoast is a movie that will appeal to everyone in at least one small way. Those who have trouble with how it tackles deeper moral issues, will still find some enjoyment in the earnestness of Chinn’s vision. And while the story beats might seem familiar, you can’t help but feel completely invested in Doris and the complex and heartfelt situation in which she often finds herself.
 
Suncoast is streaming on Hulu February 9.
 
Rating: 4/5