Estrany Riu (Catalan) [Strange River]

This coming-of-age movie really dives deep into the messy, complicated feelings of being a teenager. It’s about a sixteen-year-old boy figuring out his sexuality and capturing those delicate moments when you start to pull away from your family to find your own way, even if it feels risky. When it comes to the actual plot, I’ll be honest: there isn’t a whole lot going on. The movie is much more about setting a mood, building an atmosphere, and exploring that early sexual longing, so it definitely asks for some patience from the audience.

The story follows a family of five—mom, dad, and three sons—on a cycling vacation from Barcelona to Germany. They spend their days biking along the Danube River and their nights crashed out in tents and campsites. The oldest son is sixteen-year-old Didac, and along with his two younger brothers, he seems pretty bored and exhausted by these unplanned biking trips. Through conversations with his parents, we find out that Didac has a crush on a boy named Gerard, and his parents are actually really cool about it, even giving him dating advice. On the flip side, Didac describes his own struggle as "the frustration of not being desired." This sexual awakening seems to confuse one of his younger brothers, who follows him around everywhere like a shadow. At one point, Didac even stumbles upon a gay cruising area at a campsite. Throughout the trip, Didac keeps seeing a mysterious boy everywhere—or at least, he thinks he does. When he finally "meets" the boy, they run off together and hide out on the boy's boat, totally cut off from the world in a state of romantic bliss. But the very next morning, Didac wakes up completely alone in the middle of the river, crying out for his parents.

So, was the boy even real? Personally, I don't think so. I think Didac’s desire for Gerard is so intense that he starts imagining this boy following him, wanting him back—whether they’re swimming, visiting a design school, or wandering through a maze of houses. You really get the sense that nothing is happening, and truthfully, not much is. The characters go through tiny internal shifts, with Didac experiencing the biggest one. That whole final ten-minute sequence feels like a total fantasy of young love and running away. The movie isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to teenage discovery stories, but it handles it with a really modern sensitivity and a certain elegance. It makes you think back to those times when you felt desire but didn't even have a name for it yet. The film is honestly gorgeous to look at, and the acting is top-notch across the board. It really feels like you’re watching a real family on holiday, but again, it’s a test of patience. The actor playing Didac is fantastic and definitely someone to keep an eye on in the future. Those last ten minutes are a joy to watch because you see these two teens totally lost in their own world, though the way it ends on such a mystery is a little frustrating. It’s a familiar story of a kid coming to terms with his sexuality, just told through a fresh lens. Also, I have no idea why it has that title—it doesn't seem to fit the theme of the movie at all.

It's a beautifully shot, atmospheric look at the dreamlike nature of teenage longing, though its slow pace and mysterious ending might leave some people wanting more. (6.5/10)