Directed by Rachel Israel and written by Amelia Brain, Andra Gordon and Brent Hoff, struggling musician Nomi accepts a last-resort job from her overachiever best friend Mara, mentoring misfit campers, the “Floaters”, at their childhood Jewish summer camp. As the camp struggles to survive amidst competition with a longtime rival, Nomi, the Floaters, and Mara must overcome their differences to bring the community together and save the camp. Starring: Jackie Tohn, Sarah Podemski, Aya Cash, Seth Green, Judah Lewis, Nina Bloomgarden, Jake Ryan, Thani Brant, Jim Kaplan, Bekah Zornosa, Steve Guttenberg and Jillian Jordyn.
Jackie Tohn is extremely underrated for how fabulous she is. The amount of personality and vivacity she brings to the table is captivating enough in itself but she’s also able to create these layered characters with vulnerabilities and insecurities despite being so confident and blasé on the outside, and Nomi is another great example of that. She kicks The Floaters off on this excellent loud and funny note, creating the familiar talented but can’t quite keep it together persona.
At this point The Floaters could go in many different directions and many of them wouldn’t end well; it could try to be ultra-modern and attempt to use Gen Z language, it could lean into cringe and gross humour, it could simply fall flat emotionally but Amelia Brain, Andra Gordon and Brent Hoff avoid all of that. Instead, what they give the audience is a throwback to the iconic years of teen cinema, bringing together different sects, the nerds, the jocks, the bullies and the outsiders. It’s authentic, surprisingly sweet, it moves really well and it’s funny in an understated way, rather than going for the big laughs.
A huge part of that undoubtedly is the chemistry between the ensemble who play the titular Floaters, and Tohn. Their slowly growing connection feels natural, they gradually open up to one another and start to see things from each other’s perspective. They’re charming and messy, and build some classic unlikely friendships. It’s a superb piece of casting, and adding appearances from Seth Green and Steve Guttenberg is the cherry on top. Although, you can’t help but wonder how long Judah Lewis will be able to pull off playing a teenager, because he’s already twenty-five and yet he’s still convincing.
The Floaters is charming, funny, sincere and unexpectedly touching. Rachel Israel’s direction perfectly captures those summer camp vibes, it has a youthful touch but relies on a more classic style. The writing is excellent, it’s a really enjoyable story with plenty of nostalgic touches. The cast were brilliantly assembled, this is a terrific ensemble who are led by their fearless leader Jackie Tohn, who gives yet another endearing, entertaining performance. It’s low-key, old-school and sweet. The final icing on the cake would have just been to add a flirtation between Nomi and Rabbi Rachel (Aya Cash) because that was crying out to happen, but with or without that it’s a great time.
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