The Lost Coast doesn’t wear its heart on its sleeve.
It’s a true art-house film that prides itself on its subtlety. So much of the film is felt rather than said; long pauses and far-off stares are embraced while dialogue is kept to a minimum.
Lilly (Lindsay Benner), Mark (Lucas Alifano) and Jasper (Ian Scott McGregor) are old high school friends living in San Francisco who get together every Halloween to celebrate. Their connection to one another is complex; Mark is gay and lives with Lilly, his high school sweetheart, while Jasper is straight and engaged. Mark, however, harbors lingering feelings for Jasper, which were sparked during a camping trip at the Lost Coast, where they were involved in a fling – one that Jasper denies.
As the night progresses, the three friends, plus a tag-along buddy (Chris Yule), decide to leave the club circuit and head out to find some ecstasy. They run into many roadblocks along the way, forcing them to confront their pasts and deal with the bitter present.
The movie works on many levels. Cinematically, it is a beautiful film, but the true stars are the actors. The standout is Benner, who’s given the least dialogue, but wrings every ounce of emotion out of her body language to portray Lilly’s complexity.
The Lost Coast’s only flaw is its pacing, which can get bogged down and surprisingly tedious for a 74-minute feature. However, all is forgiven because of the film’s strong narrative.
The Lost Coast plays on Nov. 27 at 7:15 p.m. at Cinéma Impérial.
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