The Lifeguard | Rating/Review

The Lifeguard

Director: Liz W. Garcia
Writer: Liz W. Garcia
Stars: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr |

A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.

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Although I didn't feel the plot's outcome was... well... the right fit for the story, Kristen Bell, Martin Starr and Mamie Gummer flex some serious acting muscle. They nailed their roles. (And why hasn't Martin Starr won a major award yet? Seriously folks, this is Haverchuck we're talking about here!)

While I was shaking my head near the end of the film, it did move me to a response -- albeit frustration -- evoking emotion, the task of art: to pull us out of the apathetic doldrums of everyday life.

Interesting to note that while busheling only 4.4/10 stars on Rotten Tomatoes, it's carrying 3.5/5 stars on NETFLIX.

Trent's Rating: 3.5/4 ATOMIC BETA MeV's