You can tell a lot about an actor’s vision based on his first feature film. Most debut their work with a definitive style while others concentrate on telling a proper story. But every so often, there comes a first-time director whose work makes very little sense due to poor execution. Unfortunately, the latest to fall in this category is Chris Pine’s Poolman. The film debuted at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival to terrible reception. A plethora of walkouts occurred not even at the 30-minute mark. Why, might you ask? In summary, Poolman is an unfunny spoof of neo-noir thrillers with hazy direction, even messier storytelling, and unbearable dialogue.
