The wind blows in their hair, the music swoons with possibilities, and three teenage girls frolic and look for meaning in their adolescent lives accompanied by some gorgeous low-lit cinematography. It looks and feels like a drama, perhaps a Sofia Coppola coming-of-age film about teenage isolation, loneliness, and where to fit in. But it’s actually the film, “Cusp,” the award-winning feature documentary from first-time feature-film directors Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt. Winners of the 2021 Emerging Filmmaker Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Hill and Bethencourt’s film was quickly snatched up by Showtime. The cable channel has set a premiere date: Friday, November 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
READ MORE: ‘Cusp’: A Beautiful And Bruised Teenage Summer Fling [Sundance Review]
In “Cusp,” the filmmakers present an intimate and authentic glimpse into American girlhood when the constraints of adolescence clash with the growing desire for personal agency. The film will begin an awards qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, November 12, ahead of the SHOWTIME premiere. Here’s the official synopsis:
Set in a small Texas military town and shot in verité style, CUSP chases three spirited teenage girls – Brittney, Aaloni Brittney, Aaloni, and Autumn, three spirited teenage girls from a Texas military town, meet and befriend photographers and debut filmmakers Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt in a chance encounter one evening. Documenting snapshots of carefree adolescent summers, Hill and Bethencourt share a fascinating glimpse into authentic American girlhood when the constraints of being a teenager clash with the growing desire for personal agency. Shot in vérité style, CUSP is a strikingly universal coming-of-age story that captures authentic moments of female friendship while examining what it means to confront the dark realities of female adolescence. Watch the premiere on November 26 at 9/8c on SHOWTIME.
Our Sundance review described the film as a “beautiful and bruised summer fling.” describing the film further as a “sun-flared and bong-addled tumble into a teenage Texan summer rife with bombshells and boyfriend problems.” “Cusp” looks gorgeous and very much our thing. The film premieres on November 26 on Showtime and you can watch the first trailer below.