Directors: Turner Ross, Bill Ross VI

Stars: Michah Burch, Makai Garza, Nichole Dukes, Tony Aburto, Nathaly Garcia

Following their excellent semi-documentary about LA barflies ‘Bloody Noses, Empty Pockets’ filmmaker brothers Turner Ross and Bill Ross VI head out into the wide open for this realist-ish road trip with moments of beauty and grace scattered throughout. Tony, Micah, Nichole, Nathaly and Makai are a group of teens heading out on a road trip from Oregon to the northwest coast for one last hurrah before joining the workforce and becoming adults. During the trip the band banter affectionately, stop off to pick up passengers, and befriend a series of outsiders and misfits. Thankfully the various types they encounter while dipping into the demimonde prove trustworthy and safe. There is no romance, no real drama; even when the van suffers ruinous damage midway through their journey, the gang’s good cheer remains undaunted. The general hangout vibe, naturalistic performances and appealing characters are pleasingly redolent of the young protags in TV series ‘Reservation Dogs’. Despite the documentary feel the Ross brothers, doubling up as cinematographers, provide a succession of gorgeous vistas of the US northwest in an affecting depiction of community and the transience of youth.

David Willoughby

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