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The Tribes of Palos Verdes

R Released Dec 1, 2017 1h 45m Comedy Drama TRAILER for List
69% Tomatometer 29 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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The Tribes of Palos Verdes

The Tribes of Palos Verdes

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (19) audience reviews
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 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 mccane m It feels more like a brilliantly executed MFA graduate project than a film intended for the cinema or a wide audience. It ticks every box well but somehow still misses the mark. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member An emotional coming-of-age story with an excellent supporting performance from Garner. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

Flower 49% 42% Flower TRAILER for Flower Tully 87% 75% Tully TRAILER for Tully The Comedian 24% 28% The Comedian TRAILER for The Comedian 20th Century Women 88% 74% 20th Century Women TRAILER for 20th Century Women Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game 73% 93% Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
The Firm
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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