Schools out forever for five recent graduates at a small Oregon high school. Tony Aburto, Michah Bunch, Michole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia, and Makai Garza, all playing themselves, load into the van and embark on their journey to the Pacific Coast for “The Party at the End of the World,” one last bash before they have to head back home and figure out what to do next. 

Bill and Turner Ross, colloquially The Ross Brothers, write and direct Gasoline Rainbow, a portrait of vagabond youth faced with the promise of freedom, but weighed down by the shackles of lack of access. The team premiered their documentary-inspired narrative at the 2023 edition of the Venice Film Festival. Continuing along the festival circuit, the 108 film was picked up for distribution by Mubi on their platform where it will reach its largest audience. 

We are introduced to these characters – and, for the sake of this review, it will be discussing what we see on screen and not be commenting or drawing conclusions about this young cast outside of the scope of the film – as they are getting ready to leave for the coast. We learn their names as their school IDs are held on the screen. It is an economical and direct way to catch audiences up to speed on who they will be spending the next two hours with, but we cannot shake the sense that we are looking at photos of a lineup, or paperclipped to the upper left corner of a case file. This is purposeful because while the crew will discuss the wide world ahead of them, they will all resign at the end of their dreams that they are trapped, prisoners, in their small hometown. The film does not try to assign blame to any one party, but there is little introspection on behalf of our five travelers who do themselves little favor in clawing out from the mundanity they so oppose so we feel like they are the architects of their own stagnation. 

In their effort to give a voice to the youth, the Ross brothers end up hurting their case more than helping it. The film brushes up against some big ideas, but it is more focused on cracking open the next beer or chasing the next high instead of actively engaging with the challenges the youth of today face and giving them some credence. Nicole is hard of hearing so she relies heavily on Nathaly to stay involved in the conversation. Nathaly’s father was deported. Micah has a volatile home life with his parents and siblings. Makai is the only black student in his class. Tony is… well, Tony is bad with women? These plights are mentioned briefly, and just as suddenly, the scene moves on. Had Gasoline Rainbow taken a more narrative approach, it could have really examined the trials of the modern teen, but it shies away from that in favor of cheap highs and shallow philosophy. 

To the cast’s credit, they do all feel rather natural in front of the Rosses’ lens; the pair additionally edited the film, too. They let loose and do not have their guard up, even when the Rosses lean into some of the more stereotypical first-feature-at-Sundance tendencies that are purposefully rigid and may have challenged the notion of cinema back in 1978 but have become shorthand for pretentious and self-important filmmaking in the modern landscape. But back to the cast, they even handle much of the dialogue rather well, even some of the more stunted and awkward lines. The film feels almost like an exercise in active analysis where the Rosses gave their cast some moments to work towards, but it is a pretty advanced technique and meant to be more of a tool than the finished product so that could lend some grace to the quality of the line readings. The other option is that the Rosses tried to write in the Gen Z voice, themselves elder millennials, which explains why these young adults do not dig any deeper into their fears or their aspirations. When asked to be vulnerable, across the board they really do excel, and by the end of the film we do believe in the camaraderie shared between them, it is just a shame that they are not given more to do and the film becomes more of a disservice to them. 

Gasoline Rainbow is a summer hang movie with a heavy emphasis on the hang. For much of the film, the viewing experience is akin to being the designated driver instead of something more immersive or comprehensive. It is a strong and noble idea that fizzles out because of the Rosses’ loose handle on the themes. Much like the cast, they are chasing after something, something real, but the effort can be seen in every frame made to look effortless and candid as if caught by a cellphone camera. In their desire to replicate real life, they created something so artificial and contrived that the almost immediate rejection by audiences is totally justified and understandable.