What’s adventure to you?
Maybe it’s something simple you can do on a whim, like saying hi to a stranger. Or maybe it’s a bit more involved, like jumping out of a helicopter into the ocean off the coast of a country you’ve never been to before which houses a language you don’t understand and a nature so unmarred by humans that you can sit and stare at it for hours, to surf. Either way, I think you’ll like Sweet Adventure.
At its most basic it’s a surf movie. Montages with humans doing dope things on planks in the ocean—these magnetize and invigorate us in equal measure. And all that good stuff, that natural beauty, is captured in crisp detail. Awesome.
The moviemakers elevate the experience, though. They personalize it.
We learn about our cast of characters (three surfers) as their adventure unfolds (traveling from Hawaii to El Salvador to ride waves). Taut but familiar narration from Selema reminds us that world class athletes and adventure-seekers are just like you and me. Watching this, then, becomes a bit like listening to an elderly parent explaining what made each of their children special. So Nora might be a decorated pro skateboarder, but did you know what she thinks about sloths? Let’s see. Do you know what her hometown looks like? Here’s a photo. Had you any concept about how drawing an arrow on a compound bow can make Matt feel? Let’s watch him do it. Right now, we have time for it; it’s all part of it.
Relaxed like a Saturday afternoon and sweet as summer watermelon, Sweet Adventure is full of detours and poignant moments. It’ll help you soak in another sunset, for sure. But it’s also a contemplation of those times in our lives that somehow feel different and memorable. Having watched it, I feel the urge to embark on a new adventure myself.
Yep. Sweet Adventure is definitely your typical surf movie.