Peak Season

Life is a lot like a ship at sea, one that has its smooth sailing days, as well as days filled with rough waters and even storms. I would say that a lot of people have a course set in their life, and while most stay the course and eventually hit their desired destination, some wander out on the water, waiting for a destination to come to them. Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner’s Peak Season is about a man who seems lost and forges an unexpected friendship with a vacationer.

Amy (Claudia Restrepo) and Max (Ben Coleman) have traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a little R&R. Max’s family is pretty well off, so of course his uncle has a vacation house for him and Amy to stay at while in town. Together, the two of them have Wyoming things planned, including fly fishing with a local guide named Loren (Derrick Joseph DeBlasis). Those plans have a wrench thrown into them because of Max’s work, but Amy is a good sport and decides to just go, so they don’t waste the setup. It is at that fishing lesson that Amy and Loren seem to hit it off, as they both appear to be souls trying to find their way through life.  Soon she and Loren start to hang out more, they go hiking and spend time with Loren’s friends. The connection is real, but timing is everything, and the question then becomes, is the connection strong enough for Amy to give up on Max?

Written by Kanter and Loevner, this is a story with immense heart as it tries to navigate the thin line between wants and needs. Coming in at a little over 80 minutes, Peak Season never wastes any moments, as it doesn’t add anything unnecessary, including dramatics, keeping everything nice and tight. Pulling triple duty as writers, directors, and cinematographers, Kanter and Loevner use the natural beauty of Jackson Hole to their advantage as they weave their story effortlessly with the real world. All of this works out perfectly for the audience, and thanks to the composed shots, you will feel like you are on an excursion as you take this movie in.

Peak Season has plenty to say about love and life. Like their first film, The End of Us, Loevner and Kanter show they have a knack for stories like this. What takes this one over the top is the chemistry between DeBlasis and Restrepo, as they play almost effortlessly off each other. Restrepo is particularly moving, as she is fantastic as a woman struggling to find her way. Peak Season doesn’t fall into the clichés that are common in romantic comedies but does flirt with them a little, while also avoiding the things that can seem tired in other films. Peak Season really is a delight, as it is both subtle and unassuming, reminding us that the connections we make in life might just be far more meaningful than we thought they were.