“Floating Carousel” takes place in modern-day New York City, following five characters in their 20s through a web of dystopian dating scenarios.
Co-writers and directors Delilah Napier and Lucy Powers bring an “It: Chapter Two” style to “Floating Carousel.” This obviously isn’t in terms of horror, but more so the narrative itself. Focusing on a large group of characters, there is a lot of ground to cover. Because of this, each individual gets their own scene to begin the film. This leaves the early stages feeling fragmented, but this is by design — after all, it’s a carousel. The approach doesn’t stop there, with an endless string of uncomfortable situations continuing until the credits roll.
“Floating Carousel” lists out its characters’ stereotypes in the synopsis: gender studies student, messy philanderer, in-denial sugar baby, aspiring cabaret artist and professional cuddler. Despite relying on clichés at a basic level, the individuals still feel authentic. This is largely because of the performances.
Napier (Olivia) portrays a “messy” personality well. Stumbling on her words with anxious energy, she turns Olivia into a well-rounded persona rather than just being a “sugar baby.” Powers’ (Ruby) character goes through many unpleasant moments. She delivers unapologetic lines of dialogue and facial expressions that visualize Ruby’s discomfort.
Glori Dei Filippone (Alex) is both charismatic and intellectual. Her character acts somewhat ignorant, despite always scheming underneath the surface. Elsie Hewitt (Sasha) doesn’t stay on the screen long, but it’s certainly memorable, with her kicking bout remaining one of the most diverting of the movie. There’s a theatrical sense to Dylan T. Jackson’s (Sebastian) performance. His appearances are brief, delivering poetic monologues and cries of anger toward Dash Perry (St Thomas). Julian Cihi (Shanay) is calm and calculated. His role gradually grows, serving a fundamental part in the story. His intense presence elevates the “gross” nature of Shanay. Also appearing are Dylan Baker (Brian), Brittany Bradford (Dafna), Michael Cyril Creighton (Louis), Noah Kieserman (Joey), Reg Rogers (Eric), Jon Rudnitsky (Isaac) and Jessica Hecht (Marlena).
While the actors themselves make the people feel whole, there’s only so much that can be done in a 101-minute runtime. Outside of the five central characters, there are a plethora of others who take up screen time as well. This leaves several plot points feeling underdeveloped and incomplete as it constantly shifts focus. With some of the storylines being more compelling than others, the pacing also grows inconsistent. Despite this, it’s hard to argue that “Floating Carousel” lacks entertainment value. Plus, many of the pieces begin to come together as the ending nears.
Modern dating can easily be described as absurd. Napier and Powers show just how crazy it can get with the increasingly bizarre events that occur. As the film progresses, everything grows more frantic. On top of the screenplay are the cinematography and musical score. Director of photography Fletcher Wolfe heightens all of the stylistic choices, like extreme close-ups, handheld camerawork, swirling shots and more. This, mixed with the well-utilized NYC aesthetic, makes the world feel lived-in. Anna Drubich’s score contains a recurring melody that plays every time the film transitions between the characters. With differing tempos and slight variations to the beat, this alone emphasizes the cyclical nature of modern dating. While these musical compositions are used as transitions throughout, the sound design allows ambient noise — conversations, traffic, wind — to fill scenes.
The conclusion goes completely off the rails in a refreshing way. With the loop-like style taking up the first two-thirds of “Floating Carousel,” the final act could have easily fallen apart. Instead, Napier and Powers take risks. There’s weird, and then there’s “weird.” The film pushes the boundaries of realism in hilarious ways while still maintaining its identity. Not every character has a satisfying arc, but the closing messages are sure to generate laughs. After all, it’s a movie to make people feel less alone in a world of one-night stands, situationships and cursed dates. The ending will do just that.
“Floating Carousel” sometimes feels like a carousel of circumstances with no stop button in sight. However, it’s in these moments of strangeness and isolation that it effectively captures what the contemporary world of love looks like.
Rating: 3 out of 5
