Pools

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Pools

2025

1h 39m

Drama

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

81%

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21 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Kennedy has one day to get her shit together or get kicked out of school for good. Instead of buckling down, she rallies a ragtag crew for a midnight pool-hopping adventure through the lavish estates of her college town. But under the surface, Kennedy is searching for answers to the questions tearing her up inside in the wake of her father's death. As the secrets spill, this wild escape becomes a cathartic journey of self-discovery.

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Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

Aug 22

3/4

Vibrant, silly, and unwaveringly vulnerable, ‘Pools' is an invigorating party movie whose non-stop reverie uplifts its protagonist’s downcast spirit.

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Brandon Yu

New York Times

Aug 21

Rather than considering where or if there’s a heart to this specific film, Hayes seems more preoccupied with capturing the vague vibe of a certain kind of indie teen movie, one in which life gets real, but there’s nothing like being young, wild and free.

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Bee Delores

B-Sides & Badlands

4d

4/5

Even if you've never felt Kennedy's kind of pain, you can live vicariously through A'zion and feel every ounce of that misery dripping on your forehead like some twisted game of water torture.

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Tim Brennan

About Boulder

6d

Pools is the feature directorial debut of Sam Hayes, and he does a hell of a lot more right than wrong with his filmmaking. He’s got a great sense of pacing, and even the more reflective scenes never bog down the film.

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Charlotte Simmons

The Treatment (Substack)

Feb 25

I would find the world far more preferable if stories were only ever expected to exist in the parameters they create for themselves exclusively. It seemed to work for Kennedy; just saying.

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Alton Williams

Battle Royale With Cheese

Oct 28

Pools has a little Freaks & Geeks, a little Breakfast Club, a little Booksmart, and a lot of modern indie flair, all brought together for one massive moment of freedom.

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Norm V

Sep 10

Can be a real story but the scenes are not too real.

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Mr. Hollywood

Sep 10

Nothing special here but while watching it I didnt mind it. After the movie you wont remember much as there wasnt much there. Reminded me of the movie The Swimmer with Burt Lancaster, because it takes place in one day mostly and in the summer with different pools (that was a way better movie though, check it out).

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Steve

Aug 30

A beautiful, hilarious, and heartfelt ode to the summers of our youth.

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Joanne B

@RT82152233 5d

I was embarrassed for this movie, it was so bad.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Jan 20

Odessa A'zion gives a great, kinetic performance but this "Class" like college drama lets her down. It is too messy, unfocused and dull and doesn't match A'zion's outstanding performance.

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Andrei D

@RT74856639 Dec 1

Somewhat aimless but it does capture something about life's pressures and the the way we break ourselves

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Samuel Hayes

Director

Mason Gooding

Reed

Michael Vlamis

Michael

Tyler Alvarez

Blake

Francesca Noel

Shane

Odessa A'zion

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Synopsis

Kennedy has one day to get her shit together or get kicked out of school for good. Instead of buckling down, she rallies a ragtag crew for a midnight pool-hopping adventure through the lavish estates of her college town. But under the surface, Kennedy is searching for answers to the questions tearing her up inside in the wake of her father's death. As the secrets spill, this wild escape becomes a cathartic journey of self-discovery.

Director: Samuel Hayes
Producer: Samuel Hayes, Jack Heston, Seth Savoy, Adonis Tountas, Mike D. Ware
Screenwriter: Samuel Hayes
Distributor: Circle Collective
Production Co: Chicago Media Angels, Paesanos Pictures
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 29, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.5K
Runtime: 1h 39m

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