Three friends, spending a week by the beach over summer, end up dabbling in chemical induced meditation, supplied by the nefarious ‘Doctor Mindfulness’. But when people start disappearing, these so called ‘trips’ start to gain the attention of the authorities. The group of friends end up experiencing something they never could have anticipated.
As with Llansó’s previous film, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, the concept for Infinite Summer is fascinating. A mixture of a typical coming of age, science fiction and a low-key mystery, the idea that there is a device that could take you to a higher plane of existence has the potential to be memorising. While the VFX are very easy to get sucked into and the higher plane is well constructed, the characters and narrative are not as enticing.
A major part of the film’s failing is that everyone speaks English which most of the time produces wooden acting. The very few scenes not the English language, the actors are more relaxed and the story moves with ease. Its an unfortunate choice but you can understand the motive behind this choice, trying to appeal to a wider audience, but instead it stunts the growth of the story.
We mainly follow Mia who seems dissatisfied with her life and distance from her friends who have clearly changed prior to the summer. But she is not forthcoming with many if any emotions, even when she goes on her first trip. The other characters that populate the story are all very much one dimensional and at times its frustrating to watch. The over dramatic final act thankfully brings the action and further bizarre scenes which at least brings in some excitement. However, the climax of the story is inclusive and you’re left empty. It feels as if there was meant to be some kind of bliss expressed by anyone who puts on a respirator and goes on the ultimate trip, but this sense of utter freedom is lost within the strange structure of the narrative and stunted characters.
Ultimately, Infinite Summer had a bizarre and intriguing concept that never really came to a conclusion, satisfying or otherwise. Being left with a sense of emptiness may have been the goal and if so, Llansó achieved something.