The Tribes of Palos Verdes

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2:20

The Tribes of Palos Verdes

R

Released Dec 1, 2017

1h 45m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

When the Mason family moves to idyllic Palos Verdes, Calif., the father, Phil, loves it but the mother, Sandy, feels out of place among the fake tans and tennis skirts. Phil and Sandy's daughter, Medina, is a loner and outcast at school, while her charismatic brother, Jim, is effortlessly popular. When Medina and Jim take up surfing, they must prove their right to share the waves with the tough Bayboys gang that monopolizes their stretch of beach.

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Critics Consensus

The Tribes of Palos Verdes serves up a minor -- albeit alluringly atmospheric -- variation on the coming-of-age story, led by a strong performance from Maika Monroe.

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Emily Yoshida

New York Magazine/Vulture

It's a gorgeous-looking, sensitively edited film to be sure, but never finds a dramatic foothold, no matter how many manic arguments and drug overdoses it throws our way.

Aug 13, 2018

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Matthew Lickona

San Diego Reader

What's the point of white privilege if it doesn't protect you from disaster and despair?

Rated: 1/5

Dec 15, 2017

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

The directors get some melancholic atmosphere out of their visuals but don't have the scene sense to build their actors' committed performances into compelling through-lines of seaside personality disintegration.

Dec 7, 2017

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Jennifer Merin

AWFJ.org

Written by Karen Croner, the film features a strong performance from Jennifer Garner, who plays against type as Medina's emotionally unstable mother who cannot cope with her doctor husband's infidelities and his decision to end their marriage.

Nov 4, 2021

Full Review

Cate Marquis

AWFJ.org

Maika Monroe and Cody Fern make The Tribes of Palos Verdes the success it is. Utilizing a diarylike narration the film is a slow burn through the downward spiral of one family's West Coast transition.

Nov 4, 2021

Full Review

MaryAnn Johanson

AWFJ.org

Maika Monroe and Jennifer Garner shine in as a mother and daughter at odds with each other but both deeply impacted by toxic masculinity *and* toxic consumerism...

Nov 4, 2021

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Audience Member

It's interesting and surprising to see all these mixed reviews. I found the movie enjoyable from start to finish, the two kids imo being the best actors on the movie. The music, camera, I found it enchanting. Jennifer garner was good, but the kids and their relationship held the movie together.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/25

Full Review

Jerod S

Garner is excellent with her mental disorder poured on top of a narcassistic husband that wants to move to Cali to do more surgeries. Twin kids struggle as their parents fall apart and they find themselves surfing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/22/23

Full Review

Marcelo V

Filme triste e real. Jennifer Garner perfeita

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Encapsulated Teen Angst Via The Many Avoidance Methods A Beachside Suburb Holds. Just Because You Have Paradise On Your Doorstep, Does Not Mean Modern Day Problems Disappear. Establishes Quite Well The Idea Of How Disconnected People Can Be When They're All Trying To Escape.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not my type of movie 1.9

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/10/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Aside from this being Jennifer Gardners best performance to date; The Tribes is a very good account of a family torn apart by divorce and the selfish nature of a gutless patriarch. The poetry of the ocean and the destruction of drugs, come together to reveal an even sense of pain and healing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Emmett Malloy

Director

Brendan Malloy

Director

Jennifer Garner

Sandy Mason

Maika Monroe

Medina Mason

Cody Fern

Jim

Noah Silver

Adrian

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The Tribes of Palos Verdes: Trailer 1

2:20

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Synopsis

When the Mason family moves to idyllic Palos Verdes, Calif., the father, Phil, loves it but the mother, Sandy, feels out of place among the fake tans and tennis skirts. Phil and Sandy's daughter, Medina, is a loner and outcast at school, while her charismatic brother, Jim, is effortlessly popular. When Medina and Jim take up surfing, they must prove their right to share the waves with the tough Bayboys gang that monopolizes their stretch of beach.

Director: Emmett Malloy, Brendan Malloy
Producer: Robbie Brenner, Karen Croner
Screenwriter: Karen Croner, Joy Nicholson
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Truth Entertainment (II), Relativity Media, The Firm, The Mark Gordon Company
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language Throughout|Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.7K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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