Scuba: A Deep-Dive of Emotion

It’s hard feeling like you’re on the outside looking in, especially when you’re a teenager. Amongst your peers, at school, or even at home, to be the one looking in can be a painful thing. So you find your own people, your own outlet, and you proudly show the world what makes you you. In the process, you’ll bring those people closer and suddenly you’re no longer outside. Scuba, the feature debut of writer-director Jacob Vaus, tells the story of two outsiders who find each other just when they need to.

“You Waiting for Something?”

Becca (Stephanie Reedy) is a fifteen-year-old theater kid, eager to be the lead. Don (Johnathan Middleton) is the reserved, stoic senior who also works as janitor and dreams of being a playwright. He lives with his emotionally distant mother, along with an air of unspoken trauma between them. She shares a home with an inattentive family who favors her younger brother. After Don sees Becca audition for the school play, they walk home together while discussing their dreams. They quickly bond, and after she doesn’t get the role, they decide to put on a play of their own. His script, her acting. They convince the school to give them two weeks to put together a run-through. If it goes off without a hitch, they get to put on the play.

No pressure.

They quickly put together a cast, including Becca’s ex (Brock Kruckemeyer), who’s also the son of the principal (the late comedian Russ T. Nailz, to whom Scuba is dedicated). We swiftly pivot from offbeat teen comedy to stressful backstage drama, including the inevitable love triangle that befalls too many high school productions.

“You’re a Weird Person.” “…You aren’t?”

In his feature debut, Vaus shows us that he has a strong grasp of character and tone. The handheld shots, playing with a full-screen aspect ratio, and occasional camcorder POVs bolster the already intimate feeling of the film. This is further augmented by composer James Orr, whose score elevates those tender moments. Middleton’s performance is strong, even in his more statuesque moments. As Don is pushed out of his comfort zone, he takes a more commanding presence at times, particularly during a powerful monologue, and in those scenes he really shines. Reedy instills Becca with a driven, earnest, and intense energy as she’s fueled by equal parts spite and ambition. She longs to stand out from the ensemble, and will do anything to make that happen, even if someone gets hurt. Russ T. Nailz is unlikeable in the best way, and he’s relishing every minute of it.

What I also enjoy about Scuba is that the play isn’t even the climax. We build up to this big moment, and then we get to follow these characters  even further as they plumb the depths of their feelings about themselves and each other. It’s through this collaboration that they come together and open up, providing us with the emotional grounding to see them through to the end of the film. By allowing these characters to deepen, we’re able to see them as more real, and their heaviest moments resonate harder with the audience as a result.

Scuba: Take the Plunge

Scuba is a film for anyone who’s ever been on the fringe, who’s ever put themselves out there. The brave; the foolish. Those of us who hold our pain inside to save it from others, those who reach for the stars. We don’t have to succeed, but if we keep on going, maybe one day we will.

Scuba is now available on Tubi and VOD.