The 1980s and 90s were marked by "guy talk" movies, especially at the alt-indie end of the dramedy pool. These tended to be lightly plotted affairs in which trendy young men talk out angst and romantic problems, typically in sports bars and comic-book shops. One such was 2017's vaguely nautical June, Adrift, written by its principal actresses and directed by Adrienne Subia.
The protagonists are three restless Los Angeles twenty-somethings. Emma (Amanda McCann) struggles as a movie sound designer, but her only paid gig is sound effects for porn. She suddenly has a mania to drive cross-country back to her childhood Chesapeake Bay home and ever-so-symbolically complete an abandoned youthful project, a tiny sailboat.
Amanda is joined by her sensible roommate Rachel (Christine Moore), a teacher off for the summer. A virtual stowaway comes along for the ride, Berkley (Cassie Romoska); she has just scandalized her stereotyped hardworking-immigrant family by dropping out of hated engineering school to work at Ace Hardware.
Bonding more quickly than epoxy, they arrive in coastal Maryland. Putting the little boat together out of ridiculous old wooden scraps yields ready-made issues and complications with local men—recurring themes being everyone confronting unfulfilled hopes and thwarted dreams (yes, twenty-something mid-life crises are a thing).
The marvelously expressive performers (none of whom have "name" Hollywood status yet) elevate the slightly facile material with a succinct run time. Tangible affection for the Chesapeake City shooting location also yields warm fuzzies and might recommend the below-the-radar (or sonar) feature for mainstream entertainment film collections in public libraries, especially those located in the Eastern Seaboard regions.
Salty humor and profanity (there is blink-and-you-probably-missed-it nudity) would probably dock June, Adrift in the MPAA's R-rated waters, but nothing truly cringe-worthy. An optional purchase for public library shelves.