Low Tide

A quartet of young Jersey Shore guys get into serious trouble in Kevin McMullin’s slow-burning 1980s-set thriller featuring a talented young cast. The three older teens—handsome Alan (Keean Johnson), scruffy Smitty (Daniel Zolghadri), and menacing Red (Alex Neustaedter)—have been burglarizing houses occupied by vacationing outsiders. When Smitty injures his foot, Red insists that Alan recruit the latter’s brainy younger brother Peter (Jaeden Martell) as a substitute. They decide to break into a house left vacant by the death of a reclusive sea captain, where Alan and Peter discover a cache of gold coins that they secretly hide. But their plans to keep the treasure for themselves fall apart when Alan—who begins romancing the daughter of some wealthy vacationers—is unable to refrain from spending some of the loot, and pressure from a local cop (Shea Wigham) causes the boys to turn on one another. Ultimately, Alan and Peter are targeted by Red when he finds out they have been holding out on him, leading to a confrontation. While the young actors deliver good performances, McMullin’s sluggish pacing in this predictable coming-of-age story undermines their efforts. Still, consider this a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)