ReelBob: ‘Coast’ ★★

By Bob Bloom

“Coast” follows a familiar path telling its story of teenage alienation, angst and rebellion.

The film’s main character is Abby (Fatima Ptacek), a music-loving high school girl who seems to hate everything — school, her mother, her father and — most notably — the small coastal California town in which she has spent her entire life.

Abby — and to some extent her friends — are typical teenagers who, at that period in their lives, believe they are the center of the universe and nothing or no one else is as important as their immediate needs.

The movie is basically sympathetic towards these teens living bland lives in a nowhere town, which really has nothing to offer nor any prospects for a meaningful future.

Yet it is a mostly formulaic examination of characters and situations whom we have met before. The film adds nothing new or surprising, nor provides any original lessons or observations.

At 96 minutes, the movie drags. Abby basically has two choices — do well in school or run away. She dreams of being a musician, and those ideas are fueled by Dave (Kane Richotte), a musician who, with his band, are stuck in town for a few days.

But Dave, like most aspects of Abby’s life, disappoints.

The main questions surrounding “Coast” are whether Abby will reconcile with her mother and father and friends she ditched for a more-glamourous newcomer, will she abandon it all or will she accept that she can make a go of it where she is.

The only way I can relate to the young characters is remember my own children as teenagers and, from afar, view the actions of my teenage grandsons who seem to be very self-absorbed.

In that respect, “Coast” is an acceptable movie. It’s simply a cinematic used car that we’ve seen driven off this same lot many times before.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

COAST
2 stars out of 4
Not rated