On Jan. 21, 2024, the film Suncoast premiered (ironically) at the Sundance film festival and then it was later released on Hulu on Feb. 9. The movie is semi-autobiographical and is based on the director, Laura Chinn’s, childhood.

It is a coming of age story that deals with grief and normality in teenagers. It follows teen Doris (Nico Parker) as she deals with taking care of her dying brother, her grieving mother (Laura Linney), and her new friends at school.

The movie is a very interesting story and deals with some heavy topics, but they are handled with care and are woven into the story seamlessly.

It does a pretty good job, in my opinion, of showing what school can be like for someone who is on the quieter side and doesn’t put themselves out there much. Like when Doris was sitting in class and talking to some kids she had gone to school with for pretty much their whole lives, and they still didn’t know her name. Which I thought was a great way of showing how her shyness and how her brother’s illness has affected her life.

The acting by the leads, Parker and Linney, is very strong and they do a very good job making you connect with their characters, especially Parker. Which greatly makes up for some of the supporting cast, which could feel a bit lacking in certain moments, though overall they were strong as well.

The cinematography was absolutely fantastic, with many beautiful shots and interesting scenes. It made the movie very interesting to look at.

Though it could get boring at times, and there were certain aspects that felt out of place, I feel like this is a good film to watch for people that are just looking for something real.