• Latest
  • Trending
Holding Back the Tide Review

Holding Back the Tide Review: A Cinematic Ode to Oysters and Identity

JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

M3GAN 2.0 Review

M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

Blood Bar Tycoon Review

Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

Pushers Review

Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

Grenfell: Uncovered Review

Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

Ironheart Review

Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

28 Years Later 1

Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

16 hours ago
Hitmakers Netflix

Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

16 hours ago
Doctor Who

BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

16 hours ago
The Pavilion

Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

16 hours ago
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Thursday, June 26, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    28 Years Later 1

    Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

    Hitmakers Netflix

    Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

    Doctor Who

    BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

    The Pavilion

    Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

    Thomas H. Brodek

    Producer Tom Brodek, Master of Stephen King Miniseries, Dies at 86

    BET Paramount

    BET Joins Paramount Layoff Wave as Cable Declines Deepen

    Roofman

    Channing Tatum Drills Into Oscar Season With Cianfrance’s ‘Roofman’

    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    M3GAN 2.0 Review

    M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

    Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

    Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

    Pushers Review

    Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

    Ironheart Review

    Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review: When Satire Suddenly Turns Sinister

    Semi-Soeter Review

    Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

    KPop Demon Hunters Review

    KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

  • Game Reviews
    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    28 Years Later 1

    Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

    Hitmakers Netflix

    Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

    Doctor Who

    BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

    The Pavilion

    Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

    Thomas H. Brodek

    Producer Tom Brodek, Master of Stephen King Miniseries, Dies at 86

    BET Paramount

    BET Joins Paramount Layoff Wave as Cable Declines Deepen

    Roofman

    Channing Tatum Drills Into Oscar Season With Cianfrance’s ‘Roofman’

    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    M3GAN 2.0 Review

    M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

    Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

    Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

    Pushers Review

    Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

    Ironheart Review

    Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review: When Satire Suddenly Turns Sinister

    Semi-Soeter Review

    Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

    KPop Demon Hunters Review

    KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

  • Game Reviews
    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Holding Back the Tide Review

Knit’s Island Review: A Digital Frontier of Human Truths

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review: A Visual Revival

Home Entertainment Movies

Holding Back the Tide Review: A Cinematic Ode to Oysters and Identity

Emily Packer's Gorgeous Visuals Elevate the Film's Ambitious Themes

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
8 months ago
in Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

Emily Packer’s documentary Holding Back the Tide delves into the hidden histories of New York through an unexpected lens—the humble oyster. These hard-shelled bivalves were once ubiquitous along the city’s shores and crucial to its growth.

They also served as anchors for ecosystems, improving water quality and shielding coasts from storms. Through interviews with conservationists working to restore oyster populations, as well as scenes observing the daily routines of shuckers and farmers, the film outlines why these filter feeders matter so much.

But Packer finds symbolism in the oyster that extends beyond ecology. As creatures that change gender depending on environmental conditions, they represent fluidity at a time when rigid labels are falling away.

Holding Back the Tide also connects their story to struggles facing both the natural world and groups facing oppression. By portraying oysters as survivors that helped shape the city, the documentary highlights universal themes of resilience in the face of disruption. While taking an unorthodox approach, Packer crafts a tale everyone can learn from.

Through blending styles, Holding Back the Tide immerses viewers in its dual missions of honoring overlooked history and inspiring hope. Some scenes reimagine the past through haunting tableaus, while others simply observe a bustling market or mechanic pulling shells from a net.

This blend of imagination and reality, along with captivating visuals, engages audiences in important discussions around sustainability, community, and the ties between all living things. Packer’s documentary is a reminder that even small creatures have big roles to play—and big lessons to offer.

Holding Back the Tide’s Poetic Approach

Emily Packer crafted Holding Back the Tide with a looser, more lyrical structure than usual documentaries. Rather than the standard talking heads or straightforward timeline, she blended documentary scenes, fictional recreations, and philosophical asides into a flowing experience. This poetic approach gave the film a spellbinding quality but also created challenges around focus.

Central to the story were folks actively involved with oysters, like Sue Wicks, an oyster farmer whose discussions on gender fluidity and environmental balance provided a grounded throughline. We also learned about the ambitious Billion Oyster Project aiming to restore reefs in New York Harbor. By looping back to these figures, Packer established anchors amid the artistic tangents.

The fluid mix of styles was sometimes a strength, immersing viewers in the subjects. Scenes observing everyday oyster laborers blended seamlessly with imagined interludes, enhancing concepts that plain facts couldn’t. However, the loose structure felt occasionally unfocused, with transitions between ecology and identity metaphor strained.

While crafting visual poetry rather than straightforward exposition, Packer risked distraction from the documentary core. Her method invited exploration of hybrid nonfiction forms, challenging expectations around the genre. But the balance wasn’t always right, straying from compelling character pieces into stylistic self-indulgence.

Overall, Holding Back the Tide’s unconventional structure proved a double-edged sword. The fluidity crafted immersion yet diffused narrative cohesion at times. Successing passages refocused on central figures like Wicks, nonetheless, tying symbols and realities together through patience and vision.

Holding Back the Tide’s Visual Poetry

Emily Packer incorporated fiction and nonfiction, blending some dazzling sequences into Holding Back the Tide. Cinematographer John Marty captured it all with exquisite care, crafting frequently stunning images. A few scenes truly stood out.

Holding Back the Tide Review

One shows old subway cars dumped into the sea to form artificial reefs, blurring boundaries between urban and natural. Another observes New Yorkers sampling oysters for the first time, eliciting grins and grimaces in equal measure. Simply seeing folks enjoy the fruits of the sea packs more power than words ever could.

Of course, gorgeous images alone don’t resolve deeper themes. Packer supplemented interviews and character moments with beautifully shot recreations starring queer actors. A drowned ferryman embodied by Dragonfly floats hauntingly through the harbor. In truth, these flourishes sometimes felt indulgent, detracting from straightforward scenes like those with Sue the oyster farmer that grounded complex ideas in reality.

Overall, Holding Back the Tide blended observational scenes and poetic flights effectively, if unevenly at times. When verité collided with artistic expression, the result sang like a rising tide. Yet not all diversions drove the narrative shoreward. A deft visual hand certainly made the film shine, but it risked straying where steadier direction may have served its symbolism and storytelling better.

Threading Themes Through the Tide

Holding Back the Tide explored some weighty themes through its examination of New York’s oysters. The documentary traced these once ubiquitous birds’ deep role in the city’s ecological and economic past, before pollution and overharvesting led to their decline.

Holding Back the Tide Review

Packer found resonances between this story and social challenges, portraying the oyster’s ability to change sexes as a metaphor for fluid identities. Their resilience facing disruption mirrored resilience needed in tough times. Interviews with conservationists reinforced the message that protecting environments and communities goes hand in hand.

Woven throughout were reflections on humanity’s connection to nature. Whether contemplating history’s shifts or installing artificial reefs, the film underscored our inextricable links with the landscapes and waters around us.

By interlacing portraits of the past and present, Holding Back the Tide similarly united discrete narratives. Its lush vignettes and gritty realities commented on each other, just as nature and culture have always informed each other. Queer individuals seen reenacting history hinted that traditions evolve as their times change.

Though addressing weighty topics, the documentary maintained an accessible tone. Without preachiness, it highlighted Earth’s resilient creatures and communities as sources of hopeful wisdom for an uncertain future. Overall, the film delicately threaded complex themes through a deceptively simple subject—reminding that lives entwine in the flowing tides of time.

Holding Back the Tide’s Creativity Amidst its Flaws

While imperfect, Emily Packer’s documentary showed plenty of strengths worth admiring. Breaking conventions amply, she sidestepped standard talking heads for a flowing, poetical journey that pulled viewers along on its tides.

Holding Back the Tide Review

The film immersed audiences in its subjects through inventive reconstructions and striking visuals, like rain-drenched subway plunges. Hard facts formed just one motif within a tapestry weaving together abstraction and reality. This versatility grabbed attention in a landscape numb to formular documents.

Anchor Sue Wicks’ sincerity amid murkier sequences grounded heavier ideas. Her passion for oysters and ecology balanced pastoral scenes against surreal flourishes. Though distracting at times, such risks showed drive to push nonfiction form.

Ambition and challenge ruled more than tidy resolution. Blending styles probed relationships beyond simplicities as the director weaved nature, history, and identities in fugues challenging preconceptions. Imperfections derive from courage, not lack thereof.

Ultimately, Holding Back the Tide stirred imaginations more than answers. Its invitations to reflective seeing, beyond regurgitating facts, impact the mind and may stir change. For provoking thought and feeling through one humble bivalve, Packer’s experiment merits acclaim.

Room for Growth in Tide’s Waves

While Holding Back the Tide showcased promise, not all swam smoothly. The film blended themes ingeniously at times but left some partly undeveloped.

Holding Back the Tide Review

Packer deserved praise for experimenting beyond formulas. But variable focus pulled attention between the ethereal and visceral. Narrative ebbed and flowed uneasily.

Reconstructions, gorgeous as they appeared, occasionally diffused sincerer shipboard moments. Scenes with the grounded farmer Sue held ballast amidst surreal seascape.

Deeper dives into gendered identity and ecological parallels felt truncated, hints not full portraits. A tighter edit may have steered a truer course.

Not that any effort lacking perfection deserves waves of criticism. All voyages into the unknown bring lessons. Here, ambition outweighed experience at the industry’s helm.

With a surer compass navigating themes and textures, Holding Back the Tide could have resonated more richly. As is, the preliminary chart remains worth pondering for risk-taking souls of future nonfiction.

No work holds monopoly on teaching or delight. In open waters, even partial successes may inspire further fare to deeper waters yet unplumbed.

Riding the Waves of Change

Despite rough patches, Holding Back the Tide swam against the tide of formula with its fusion of poetry and reality. Emily Packer drew viewers into an immersive experience exploring oysters and identity through a range of styles.

Holding Back the Tide Review

Her bold blending of fiction and non-fiction, from dreamlike sequences to scenes of gritty labor, stirred debate around what documentaries can achieve. While imperfect, the film showed vision to challenge preconceptions and stimulate reflection.

While pushing boundaries brought mixed successes, Packer’s risk-taking inspired. Not every wave is smooth, but exploring fresh waters broadens shores of understanding. Ultimately, her documentary widened notions of what stories can convey and how.

Though flawed, Holding Back the Tide earned its B- for effort, if not perfection. Ambition merits recognition where formula plays it safe. Packer proves challenges can introduce paradigms as easily as any polished work.

By intertwining relationships between past, present, and natural cultural worlds, the film resonates—a reminder that lives entwine across all divides. Its accomplishments encourage further adventures where few have ventured before.

The Review

Holding Back the Tide

8 Score

Despite uneven flows, Holding Back the Tide steered documentaries into bracing waters. Director Emily Packer fused poetry and purpose to stirring effect, prioritizing provocation over resolution. Imperfect yet stirring, her distinctive melding of style and symbol stirred thought in agenre, crying out for fresh brine.

PROS

  • Beautiful cinematography that brought the settings to life
  • Novel approach to blending documentary and fiction
  • Provided thoughtful commentary on themes of queerness, gender, ecology
  • Sue Wicks' character anchored complex ideas.
  • Inspired reflective viewing by pushing boundaries creatively

CONS

  • Narrative felt unevenly balanced at times.
  • Some recreations distract from stronger real scenes.
  • Deeper exploration of themes was truncated.
  • Pacing between abstract/grounded sequences varied
  • Risked being too experimental without central focus

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: DocumentaryEmily PackerFeaturedHilary AsareHolding Back the TideJosh MargolisMeghan DolbeyThomas Annunziata
Previous Post

Knit’s Island Review: A Digital Frontier of Human Truths

Next Post

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review: A Visual Revival

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Marshmallow Review

    Marshmallow Review: These Woods Hide Unexpected Secrets

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Smoke Review: The Year’s Most Unpredictable and Unsettling Show

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 7 Biggest Station Wagons on the Market

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Patience Review: Challenging Stereotypes in Crime Drama

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

M3GAN 2.0 Review
Entertainment

M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

8 hours ago
Grenfell: Uncovered Review
Movies

Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

15 hours ago
Ironheart Review
Entertainment

Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

15 hours ago
Semi-Soeter Review
Movies

Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

19 hours ago
KPop Demon Hunters Review
Movies

KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

19 hours ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version