WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The disruptive inquietude of the uncertain, the unknown, the undisclosed path ahead. While it sounds extreme, there is a trepidation in our youth that screams out for answers, a yearning for something tangible, even just in mind, to grasp onto when it comes to what the future might present. It seems this journey towards moving forward will forever be fraught with travails and triumphs as only this stage in existence can manifest. In small town America, long time best friends Kat (Chloë Levine) and Janet (the feature film debut for Kimie Muroya) find themselves in the midst of high school’s senior year and being on the cusp of life’s next steps. But, facing them will be the ramifications of choices made by each that send them chaotically hurtling towards unknown ends that will challenge their friendship, beliefs, desires, and expectations to equally frenetic levels.
Next, my Mind:
It’s an exposé in the angsty tumult of youth, the ebb and flow of friendship, the emotionally-charged tempests of being faced with adulthood, and the overall volatility of decisions made, consequences encountered, experiencing life’s pain, righting wrongs, and slowly taking ownership of the future and all its actual possibilities wrapped in a 90-minute shell that’s as equally potent dramatically as it is superbly, but darkly, comedic. The effort, from writer/director/producer Keith Bearden teamed with the additional talents of producers Jonathan Burkhart, Peter Ernsky, Kim Jackson, and Joseph White, co-producers Mia Cusumano, Meghan Rafferty, and Andrew Zolot plus executive producers Zach LeBeau, Chloë Levine, and Joseph Lubin, creates an atmosphere that unapologetically and with unflinching, raw candor takes the viewer through the hectic excursion that is the lives of two best friends having to deal with a kaleidoscopic range of shallow vs. real love, loss, personal tragedy, elusive successes, and just trying to discover exactly where their paths will lead, ideally to their satisfaction, rather than to what so often appears to be hopeless grasping at the unattainable.
Truthfully, in many respects, the film carries such a blatantly pessimistic outlook, since the road traveled by its two primary antagonists presents itself with an overt, obvious negativity at the start, it might be easy to just dismiss it all AS nothing but embittered diatribes and be done with it. But, I would strongly urge viewers to bear with it, even with the project’s undeniably gritty, even harsh, moments and comprehend the all-too-realistic and, dare I say, relatable facets of youth AND adulthood the film portrays, because as we all know, this journey called existence is FAR from easily navigated nor is it ever free of challenges to overcome. How this is all depicted here grants us that grounded viewpoint and perspective that could very well be construed as a pointed wake-up call to us as a society to be more aware of the plights of youth on the verge of launching into their next phases, being a better support to them during these times, and even being reminded of our own fully correctable faults and mistakes, both past and present. How this gets addressed as the film concludes leaves you with both conjecture and certainties for both characters that is highly satisfying, if not intentionally enigmatic.
In addition to the thematic considerations mentioned above, the narrative also takes a dive into gender roles, the quests we take to be seen as “normal” (even when in reality there’s NOT a THING wrong with us as we are), the ways societal pressures try to analyze our behaviors and jump to (sometimes) totally inaccurate conclusions, ascertaining a sense of purpose, bullying (verbal and cyber), body shaming, trolling, abortion, and many other of this world’s pitfalls we find ourselves confronting. I think this is precisely why independent films like this really can be an effective tool to send messages that all these things we tend to take for granted or just “the norm” really need much deeper and calculating scrutiny so that we realize just how impactful and life-altering it all is, especially when it comes to the influence on our new generations. Meanwhile, we can take in the heavily satiric look at all of it and gain entertainment out of the sheer absurdity of it all while we’re pondering underlying concepts being delivered. Visually, the film soars on smoothly shot wings and adds a musical score which perfectly befits the story’s foundational tone and then ever-fluctuating moods.
Levine deftly pulls off anxiousness, malaise, understated and eruptive anger, apathy, fear, and wholehearted empathy with a realistic flare that allows her performance to truly sink in via the role of Kat, a high school senior whose ever-present yet still somewhat veiled wild side apparently dictates her actions more than common sense does. Still having the closest bond with best friend Janet, Kat’s overall jaded stance on where her journey is taking her remains forefront, even as one impulsive and unwise move makes the seas even more stormy, the way out of it causing her to have to accept the ramifications while desperately hanging on to her sanity and any amount of hidden positivity she may hold somewhere inside. Yet, despite the endless run of stumbles, we can clearly see a young woman of value, intelligence, and stouter heart than it appears, and it’s thanks to Levine’s wonderful execution that we can notice all of this while having an affecting sense of sympathy for Kat, a total credit to Levine’s talents showcased here.
Then, with NO less adulation extended, there is an absolutely, definitively outstanding performance rendered via feature film newcomer Muroya as Janet, Kat’s childhood best friend who has her own personal demons to wrestle with thanks to an equally deadened, dispassionate outlook on life clings to her like Kat’s. But, Janet also holds within her a smoldering rage that, when prompted, explosively shows itself and opens her up to further judgements from peers and the world at large, causing her to embark on a (literal) drug-enhanced skid that suddenly begins to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Seeing how Janet focuses on just “going with” what she’s told and “needs to do”, it then starts to re-form her comprehension of who she is, what she can be, and what she can accomplish to degrees that are emotively saddening and jubilant, even as she has to endure the fracturing of a relationship she’s treasured and nurtured for so much of her life, with a possibility it may or may not get reconciled. It’s a brilliant performance from Muroya and a far more than worthy feature debut to offer.
Further roles are many, as is often the case with character-based efforts such as this, and are wonderfully performed through primary supporting turns from Bubba Weiler as Rian, a boy whom has a huge impact on Janet’s path, Steve Lipman as wanna-be “gangsta” Stevie D whose impact lands on Kat, Clea Lewis and Laith Nakli as Kat’s rather eccentric parents Diane and Vlad, Chil Kong as Janet’s Dad, and Ajay Naidu as Principal Pepp along with excellent supporting appearances from Jojo Gonzalez, Frank Petruccelli, Norm Magnusson, Keith Leonard, Damian Young, Alenka Kraigher, Clark Middleton, Mo Stark, Sondra James, Libby Woodbridge, Alan R. Walker, Crystal Bock, and Kevin Cannon among many others. So, in total, “Antarctica” paints a portrait of teenage actuality that begins as cold as the film’s namesake, but then ultimately warms via the still weighty yet incontestably real truths about what it is to just BE young and uncertain, having to traverse those dark nights of the soul in order to, hopefully, come out the other side with at least a clearer illustration of the pilgrimage ahead, having those closest to us along for the ride in friendship, love, and support.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
