[Göteborg FF '23] A story of adolescent growth that is surrounded by a disturbing atmosphere, introducing ghostly elements that, like the supernatural in "El agua" (2022), feed the context of the protagonists. The director succeeds in introducing this concern in a subtle way (the hum of an electrical tower), but in the end it ends up being a formal resource that only tries to justify an unconvincing outcome. The young actor Joseph Engel is capable of expressing the internal heartbeat of love from the apparent inexpression, and contributes a good part of the virtues of a film that, on the other hand, contributes little to the usual stories about first love.

Sweet little Canadien film portraying the first love and coming of age of a 14 year old. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this film initially as it does rather sexualize a young teen – but how else is the Director Charlotte Le Bon supposed to make a film about the desires of those at that age. In the end it is done very tenderly and sensitively.
The film is rather beautiful in that respect as we see Bastien who is on a family holiday, lust after Chloe who has several other, older male admirers. The film captures a lot of the excitement, adventure, awkwardness and aloofness of first encounters with love and lust at that age, as well as the stomach sickening nervousness and horror of it all.
It does though have a tiny choreographed and obvious climax and - the third act is impossible to write about without spoilers, so I won’t try.
A convincing debut from Charlotte Le Bon.
7.8/10

The two leads were excellent. Very good non-verbal communication by the young boy that hammers home that feeling of inadequacy of being the youngest in a group of older kids, especially when you have feelings for one of the girls. I felt like it flew by actually despite being deliberately paced in some areas. Very strong 7.6

Like if Moonrise Kingdom were a ghost story.

I love a good coming-of-age story, and this one is really really good.

A 14 year old French boy vacations on a lake in Canada with friends of his parents who have a 16 year old daughter and the rest is in the hands of the director. And what hands they turn out to be.

From the still shots like chapter headings to the delicate tightwire act on the razor's edge between sexuality and innocence, between child and adulthood, between fear and fitting in, it's hard to believe that this is québécoise actress Charlotte Le Bon's first film.

The subtilty of her story telling is reminiscent of the way Lukas Dhont (Girl, Close) films young people: with images that speak louder and more poignantly than any voice ever could.

A beautiful film about growing up that will pierce the heart and leave its mark on anyone who was once a child.