Alex Neustaedter in Low Tide (A24)

There used to be a rock band from Texas called the Strange Boys. In 2009, they released an album titled The Strange Boys and Girls Club, where they pay tribute to the classic ‘60s garage rock, with love and a little tongue-in-cheek. Infused within the songs is an unmistakable spirit of all-American young men living the best years of their lives and not taking life too seriously. If the record had inspired a movie, it might’ve been called Low Tide. In fact, it could’ve well been the ironic soundtrack playing in the background.

High schoolers Alan (Keean Johnson), Red (Alex Neustaedter), and Smitty (Daniel Zolghadri) live apparently normal lives for their age: they spend their summer at the New Jersey boardwalk hanging out at the local burger stand, clashing with vacationing rich kids, and wooing girls at the fairground. But behind their façade lies a dark habit of breaking into vacation homes and stealing valuables that fund this lifestyle. When the gang discovers a two-story estate of a deceased millionaire, Alan recruits his reluctant but level-headed younger brother Peter (Jaeden Martell) to act as a lookout, and they all set out to rob their new target.

While Red and Smitty look for potential objects downstairs, Alan and Peter discover a bag of gold coins valued at $100,000 in the attic and a treasure map pointing to a secret score. The brothers decide to keep this information to themselves, but in typical outlaw fashion, they must face greed; deception; mistrust among each of the members; the violent nature of Red, who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the prize; and a potential threat to destroy their friendship. Meanwhile, the crew’s illegal deeds capture the attention of one of the town’s officers, Sgt. Kent (Shea Whigham), and also end up involving Alan’s new girlfriend, Mary (Kristine Froseth).

The cast’s performances are pretty amazing for up-and-coming talent, and one can sense the passion the actors put into bringing this low-budget indie to a higher level. Martell is nothing short of extraordinary as a character simultaneously struggling to fit in and do the right thing. As Peter, he handles the role of the shy but brave younger brother with subtlety. While Zolghadri is pretty memorable, playing the awkward geek with a dark side, it’s Neustaedter who defines what the film is trying to say.

Low Tide’s story structure and central message is not something we haven’t seen before, but it’s still an ambitious and surprisingly engaging debut for newcomer writer/director Kevin McMullin. Forget The Goonies (1985) and Stand by Me (1986) as influences. What McMullin has perhaps done here is create a new subgenre: “Jonny Quest-esque small-town thieves.” This is specifically captured in the first few minutes, when a beautifully photographed shot of a summer home at night is suddenly lit by flashlights, as viewed from the outside.

Complementing the movie is a great ‘60s surf score that perfectly fits the atmosphere, and in the tradition of tall tales, the exclusion of parents is a brilliant touch, which also serves as a thought-provoking element of the narrative. Made with obvious love for his native New Jersey, McMullin really knows the color palette he wanted to share with the audience.

With a title and poster that can be misleading, Low Tide is a beautiful reminder that you must never judge a book by its cover.