Buttoned-up money meets free-spirited crunchy lifestyle in Henry Loevner and Steven Kanter’s SXSW 2023 film PEAK SEASON. Two worlds collide in Jackson Hole when engaged NYC yuppies Amy and Max hire local wilderness guide Loren for a flyfishing lesson. Max ditches Amy after he’s called back to work, leaving her alone in a massive luxury house and her thoughts.
Listen, my husband is a Yale business school grad. We live in a co-op on the UWS. The dialogue is spot-on for Max and his ilk. Amy yearns to change her circumstances. She does not want that very niche cliche existence. Amy blooms in Jackson, and with Loren by her side, her mind opens to all sites of possibilities. Hints that she is off her facade game show when making decisions for her impending wedding proves impossible, shirking luxury for low-key local hang-out sessions with Loren and his off-the-grid, working-class friends. It’s a precarious dynamic when Max makes an abrupt return. Feelings are complicated.
Claudia Restrepo is Amy. Her nonchalant cool-girl persona bounces off the screen like we’re watching a documentary rather than a drama. Derrick DeBlasis plays Loren with total comfort. He lives inside the down-to-earth, no-care-in-the-world attitude like a pro. He and Restrepo have a chill and genuine chemistry that feels earned.
Here’s what shines in Peak Season. The script’s natural authenticity hits hard for anyone who questions their future. This nuanced script might seem subtle, but hiding behind its simplicity is a complex and reflective premise.
Film Screenings
Credits
Directors: |
Henry Loevner, Steven Kanter |
|---|---|
Executive Producer: |
Derrick DeBlasis, Claudia Restrepo, Ben Coleman, Rob Massar |
Producer: |
Lovell Holder, Patrick Ward, Henry Loevner, Steven Kanter |
Screenwriter: |
Henry Loevner |
Cinematographer: |
Henry Loevner, Steven Kanter |
Editor: |
Henry Loevner, Steven Kanter |
Sound Designer: |
Private Island Audio |
Music: |
Steven Kanter |
Principal Cast: |
Claudia Restrepo, Derrick DeBlasis, Ben Coleman, Fred Melamed, Stephanie Courtney, Will Neff, Caroline Kwan, Ron Hanks, Gadiel Del Orbe, Natasha Dewhurst |
Additional Credits: |
Co-Producer: Tara Seewack, Co-Executive Producer: Patrick Wendell, Co-Executive Producer: Kay Ousterhout, Co-Executive Producer: Simon Hallett, Co-Executive Producer: Jane Hallett, Co-Executive Producer: Greg Coleman, Associate Producer: Alan M. Kanter, Associate Producer: Bruce Liebowitz, Associate Producer: Glenn Liebowitz |
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