Cusp
2021·Documentary·1h 23m
7.1
★
In a Texas military town, three teenage girls confront the dark corners of adolescence at the end of a fever dream summer.
Directed by Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill
texas
underage drinking
teenage girl
summer
underage smoking
vaping
toxic relationship
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Crew
Parker Hill
Director
T. Griffin
Original Music Composer
Parker Hill
Editor
Parker Hill
Director of Photography
Chris Columbus
Executive Producer
Caitlin Gold
Executive Producer
Joe Plummer
Executive Producer
Jenifer Westphal
Executive Producer
Naomi McDougall Jones
Executive Producer
Parker Hill
Producer
Eleanor Columbus
Executive Producer
Geralyn White Dreyfous
Co-Executive Producer
Popular Reviews
12 reviews
Sophia
9.2★ · 02/04/22
Omg the most underrated film I’ve seen in a min/ it truly encapsulates what it’s like to be a teen girl. Plus some of the most beautiful cinematography/ shots I’ve seen in a minute. Truly in awe of some of the color grading.
Omg the most underrated film I’ve seen in a min/ it truly encapsulates what it’s like to be a teen girl. Plus some of the most beautiful cinematography/ shots I’ve seen in a minute. Truly in awe of some of the color grading.
bailey
6.0★ · 12/28/21
the way i wanna save these girls (especially brittany) this film is very real to the environment many girls are placed in but, i found myself disliking these girls, maybe because i am older and have seen girls this way and just want to help. but also because they are so immature (since they are literally 15-16) yet i think deep down they think they are mature due to the “mature” envoirment they are placed in so they see nothing wrong in their actions or how it will affect them later on.
i found myself talking to them while watching with advice and throughout the movie i was on edge with the grooming and manipulation that these girls are surrounded in, i felt fear for what might happen to them and i don’t understand how the filmmakers or their parents seem to not blink an eye at that. i felt myself almost diagnosing the issues these girls will face later on and how their envoirment places them in a future that is bleak. i understand it’s a documentary but i hope these filmmakers gave these girls some ounce of big sister advice.
i found myself talking to them while watching with advice and throughout the movie i was on edge with the grooming and manipulation that these girls are surrounded in, i felt fear for what might happen to them and i don’t understand how the filmmakers or their parents seem to not blink an eye at that. i felt myself almost diagnosing the issues these girls will face later on and how their envoirment places them in a future that is bleak. i understand it’s a documentary but i hope these filmmakers gave these girls some ounce of big sister advice.
the way i wanna save these girls (especially brittany) this film is very real to the environment many girls are placed in but, i found myself disliking these girls, maybe because i am older and have seen girls this way and just want to help. but also because they are so immature (since they are literally 15-16) yet i think deep down they think they are mature due to the “mature” envoirment they are placed in so they see nothing wrong in their actions or how it will affect them later on.
i found myself talking to them while watching with advice and throughout the movie i was on edge with the grooming and manipulation that these girls are surrounded in, i felt fear for what might happen to them and i don’t understand how the filmmakers or their parents seem to not blink an eye at that. i felt myself almost diagnosing the issues these girls will face later on and how their envoirment places them in a future that is bleak. i understand it’s a documentary but i hope these filmmakers gave these girls some ounce of big sister advice.
i found myself talking to them while watching with advice and throughout the movie i was on edge with the grooming and manipulation that these girls are surrounded in, i felt fear for what might happen to them and i don’t understand how the filmmakers or their parents seem to not blink an eye at that. i felt myself almost diagnosing the issues these girls will face later on and how their envoirment places them in a future that is bleak. i understand it’s a documentary but i hope these filmmakers gave these girls some ounce of big sister advice.
Spence
8.0★ · 02/02/21
For some reason, going into this, I expected there to be more of a plot or something that was driving the doc forward. This is about real people just living their lives, so I’m not sure why I was expecting that, but it didn’t really end up bothering me. I didn’t even realize how quickly the time went by while watching. I was really immersed in the story. It’s not too slow or unrealistically fast-paced. Cusp just follows these real teen girls during their summer and creates a powerful narrative woven around their stories and lives. I thought it was really well done. I’m glad this was my pick for Sundance (I only got one ticket) and I would definitely recommend it.
For some reason, going into this, I expected there to be more of a plot or something that was driving the doc forward. This is about real people just living their lives, so I’m not sure why I was expecting that, but it didn’t really end up bothering me. I didn’t even realize how quickly the time went by while watching. I was really immersed in the story. It’s not too slow or unrealistically fast-paced. Cusp just follows these real teen girls during their summer and creates a powerful narrative woven around their stories and lives. I thought it was really well done. I’m glad this was my pick for Sundance (I only got one ticket) and I would definitely recommend it.
Sophie den Ridder
6.0★ · 02/01/21
Not a lot of substance. But god does this make me sad for everyone involved.
Not a lot of substance. But god does this make me sad for everyone involved.
Evan
2.6★ · 02/01/21
Ok so here’s the deal with this one. On paper, a documentary following the lives of three girls you met at a gas station and telling their story to give a raw sense of what’s going on in real America is a really powerful premise. The only problem is you have to be careful with how far you go.
American Honey is a movie that follows the life of a girl in this American life that does a good job of not being exploitative and giving us this vision of what it’s like being a teenager and having this life you’re forced into. This, however is a narrative while Cusp is a documentary.
And that’s where I think this movie falls flat. The fact that it’s real and it’s showing these girls get drunk and smoke weed and get harassed by older guys just makes you feel not only icky and gross, but it also leaves you wondering how people signed off on this. Or how the filmmakers just kept rolling and didn’t say “hey you’re literally 15 why do you want to move in with this guy”. I get wanting to show this side of America but you gotta do something about it too. It just felt like you were exploiting these people to feel good about yourself.
It does have its’ moments and has a lot of cool shots and scenes but I just wanted so much more.
American Honey is a movie that follows the life of a girl in this American life that does a good job of not being exploitative and giving us this vision of what it’s like being a teenager and having this life you’re forced into. This, however is a narrative while Cusp is a documentary.
And that’s where I think this movie falls flat. The fact that it’s real and it’s showing these girls get drunk and smoke weed and get harassed by older guys just makes you feel not only icky and gross, but it also leaves you wondering how people signed off on this. Or how the filmmakers just kept rolling and didn’t say “hey you’re literally 15 why do you want to move in with this guy”. I get wanting to show this side of America but you gotta do something about it too. It just felt like you were exploiting these people to feel good about yourself.
It does have its’ moments and has a lot of cool shots and scenes but I just wanted so much more.
Ok so here’s the deal with this one. On paper, a documentary following the lives of three girls you met at a gas station and telling their story to give a raw sense of what’s going on in real America is a really powerful premise. The only problem is you have to be careful with how far you go.
American Honey is a movie that follows the life of a girl in this American life that does a good job of not being exploitative and giving us this vision of what it’s like being a teenager and having this life you’re forced into. This, however is a narrative while Cusp is a documentary.
And that’s where I think this movie falls flat. The fact that it’s real and it’s showing these girls get drunk and smoke weed and get harassed by older guys just makes you feel not only icky and gross, but it also leaves you wondering how people signed off on this. Or how the filmmakers just kept rolling and didn’t say “hey you’re literally 15 why do you want to move in with this guy”. I get wanting to show this side of America but you gotta do something about it too. It just felt like you were exploiting these people to feel good about yourself.
It does have its’ moments and has a lot of cool shots and scenes but I just wanted so much more.
American Honey is a movie that follows the life of a girl in this American life that does a good job of not being exploitative and giving us this vision of what it’s like being a teenager and having this life you’re forced into. This, however is a narrative while Cusp is a documentary.
And that’s where I think this movie falls flat. The fact that it’s real and it’s showing these girls get drunk and smoke weed and get harassed by older guys just makes you feel not only icky and gross, but it also leaves you wondering how people signed off on this. Or how the filmmakers just kept rolling and didn’t say “hey you’re literally 15 why do you want to move in with this guy”. I get wanting to show this side of America but you gotta do something about it too. It just felt like you were exploiting these people to feel good about yourself.
It does have its’ moments and has a lot of cool shots and scenes but I just wanted so much more.