Senior Hardy Buchanan struggles to keep up at an elite private school while caring for his unstable mother and raising money for surgery to save their beloved family dog. Desperate for cash, he teams up with a mysterious runaway to run an unconventional scheme targeting wealthy classmates. But as the plan spirals and Hardy’s feelings for classmate Lake deepen, he’s forced to decide what kind of person he wants to be.
Acting
Skyler Gisondo's sweaty desperation is uncomfortably perfect.
Writing
The dog surgery plot somehow lands every emotional beat.
Director
Sean Nalaboff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Sean Nalaboff wrote this after observing the wealth gap at a Hamptons prep school where he taught. The SAT tutoring scams are apparently real.
This quietly predicted the 2020s 'hustle culture gone wrong' indie wave—Hardy's gig economy desperation feels way more relevant now than in 2016.
US
