The compelling underwater shots that launch this film provide an eerie foreshadowing of writer/director Charlie Polinger’s unusual perspective. The film takes place at a polo camp, where one twelve-year-old (Kenny Rasmussen) is ostracized for having the titular infection. Another team member (Everett Blunck) feels sympathetic and attempts to befriend him. The social hierarchy of the boys plays out with cruel comments and mean pranks. Joel Edgerton is the only adult member as the coach. This impressive cast of burgeoning adolescents is remarkedly lively and comfortable in their roles, while Blunck once again shows his remarkable depth. (He was equally strong as the lead in “Griffin in Summer,” now on Hulu.) The pace is often deliberate, allowing Polinger to linger on moments, while sometimes dragging the pace. It’s lite on plot and is more about the emotional dynamics and troubling pressures these kids confront. Trudging thru Polinger’s artsy elements can be challenging, but the ultimate character study reveals itself to be probing and powerful. 
(3.5 / 5)
