The American teen film often finds its setting in the sweltering, listless days of summer, a backdrop for rebellion and self-discovery. Pools opens within this familiar territory, dropping us into a stifling Chicago heatwave. Its protagonist is Kennedy, a student whose brilliant academic record is dissolving under the weight of grief following her father’s death.
Facing expulsion, she deflects her problems with an impulsive plan: a nocturnal tour through the swimming pools of a wealthy suburb. She gathers a small group of classmates for this illicit adventure. The premise feels like a classic setup for youthful hijinks, yet the film signals early that this journey through private backyards is also a deeper plunge into a personal crisis. The act of trespassing is less about thrill-seeking and more a desperate search for a space to breathe.
A Portrait of Grief in Motion
The film rests almost entirely on the shoulders of Odessa A’zion, who gives a kinetic and deeply felt performance as Kennedy. Her portrayal is the engine of the story, capturing a character defined by sharp contradictions rooted in a specific cultural pressure. Kennedy is at once a sharp intellect, the product of an American system that prizes academic achievement, and a self-sabotaging force rebelling against that very system.
Her recklessness is a direct expression of her unprocessed grief. A’zion makes this internal chaos visible, her physicality conveying a nervous energy that seems constantly on the verge of breaking. The supporting characters function as familiar types drawn from the suburban Chicago landscape famously mapped by John Hughes. There is Reed, the jock; Blake, the diligent pre-med student; and Delaney, Kennedy’s once-close friend.
These figures are less fully-formed individuals and more satellites orbiting Kennedy’s turmoil, each representing a life path she has either abandoned or feels alienated from. Blake embodies the studious dedication she once had, while Delaney signifies a social world that no longer fits. Their interactions serve to refract her own alienation back at her, creating a clear picture of her isolation. The strained dynamic with Delaney, in particular, illustrates how Kennedy’s private pain has fractured her public connections.
The Grammar of a Restless Mind
Director Sam Hayes employs a distinct visual style to mirror his protagonist’s headspace. The film’s opening act is characterized by frenetic editing and agitated camera work, including frequent, jarring crash zooms that deny the viewer a stable perspective. This aesthetic directly translates Kennedy’s anxiety into a cinematic language.
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The visual choices are not merely decorative; they are the grammar of a panicked mind, forcing the audience to experience the world through her fragmented and unstable point of view. This stylistic approach, while effective, sometimes feels indebted to a particular tradition of quirky American independent film and risks feeling imitative of other directors known for such flourishes. This visual energy shifts dramatically whenever the characters enter the water.
The cinematography in the pool scenes becomes serene and luminous, a clear departure from the chaos on land. Underwater shots, muffled and slow, create a dreamlike state. The pool, a recurring symbol in American storytelling of both status and danger, here becomes a sanctuary. It is a liminal space where Kennedy can momentarily escape the weight of her life, a visual metaphor for the silent peace she craves amidst the noise of her own thoughts.
Finding Form in Formlessness
The narrative structure of Pools splits into two distinct movements, reflecting a common arc in stories of personal crisis. The first is a fast-paced, multi-location adventure. The second half becomes a more static chamber piece after the group finds an empty mansion and stays there. This deliberate structural shift forces the characters to stop running and confront one another.
The house itself becomes a psychological container for their simmering anxieties. In this section, however, the film’s momentum slows, and it leans into conventional subplots of teenage romance that lack the urgency of Kennedy’s own story. A key narrative intervention comes from Michael, an air conditioning repairman who seems incidental at first.
His character introduces a different social and economic perspective, contrasting the world of Lake Forest academia with blue-collar pragmatism. He becomes an unlikely mentor, validating Kennedy’s artistic inclinations and offering her permission to pursue a life outside of established institutions. The film’s greatest strength is its refusal of a neat resolution.
Kennedy does not experience a sudden epiphany. She instead arrives at a place of quiet acceptance and a new sense of direction. This grounded ending feels authentic to the complex process of navigating loss and identity.
Pools is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film that marks the feature debut of writer and director Sam Hayes. After premiering at SXSW Sydney and winning the Audience Award, followed by a sold-out North American premiere at TIFF Next Wave, the film was released in select U.S. theaters starting August 22, 2025.
Full Credits
Director: Sam Hayes
Writers: Sam Hayes
Producers and Executive Producers: Sam Hayes, Jack Heston, Seth Savoy, Adonis Tountas, Mike Ware, Lindsay Barnett, Ahbra Perry, Michael Vlamis
Cast: Odessa A’zion, Mason Gooding, Michael Vlamis, Tyler Alvarez, Francesca Noel, Ariel Winter, Suzanne Cryer, Stan Adams
Director of Photography: Ben Hardwicke
Editors: Tucker Marolf
Composer: Cody Fry
The Review
Pools
Pools is carried by a commanding lead performance from Odessa A'zion, whose portrayal of a grieving teen is both explosive and vulnerable. While the film's energetic visual style effectively captures her inner turmoil, the narrative falters when it drifts into familiar subplots. The story is uneven, yet its emotionally honest ending offers a resonant and refreshingly grounded take on self-discovery. It is a worthwhile watch for its central performance alone.
PROS
- A powerful and captivating lead performance by Odessa A'zion.
- An energetic visual style that effectively mirrors the protagonist's psychological state.
- Beautifully filmed swimming sequences that offer moments of calm.
- An emotionally realistic ending that avoids simple resolutions.
CONS
- The narrative loses focus and momentum in its second half.
- Supporting characters feel more like archetypes than fully developed individuals.
- Some stylistic choices come across as imitative of other indie films.
- Secondary romantic subplots are less engaging than the main character's story.
