Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

What Doesn't Float

What Doesn't Float is a anthology dark comedy film directed by Luca Balser and written by Shauna Fitzgerald. The film comprises seven vignettes set in , each portraying diverse characters reaching emotional breaking points amid uncontrollable circumstances, often tied to motifs such as oceans, aquariums, and floods. These stories explore urban neuroses and critical decisions, blending humor with poignant observations of everyday life. The ensemble cast features notable performances, including , who also served as a producer, alongside , , Mirlande Amazan, Alana Raquel Bowers, and Rachel Cockrill. Produced on a microbudget by Circle Collective, the film emphasizes polished and seamless transitions between segments, clocking in at a concise 70-minute runtime that avoids dragging. Its screenplay draws from real-life inspirations, capturing the comical humiliations and mundane travails of city dwellers. It premiered at the Lighthouse International Film Festival on June 10, 2023, and was released in limited theaters on September 22, 2023, and later available for streaming starting January 26, 2024, with the full film made available for free on starting May 23, 2025. What Doesn't Float received positive for its elegant style and tight storytelling, earning a 100% Tomatometer score on from six reviews. Critics praised its avoidance of indie clichés in execution, though some noted reliance on familiar tropes like unlikely intergenerational friendships. The film's water-centric theme serves as a for life's unpredictable currents, making it a standout in contemporary cinema.

Plot

Overview

What Doesn't Float is a dark directed by Luca Balser, consisting of seven standalone vignettes connected thematically that depict New Yorkers reaching their breaking points amid uncontrollable circumstances. Each story explores moments of crisis and revelation, blending humor with underlying tension to highlight the mundane travails of urban life in a of 69 minutes. Central to the anthology is the unifying motif of , which appears both literally—in settings like beaches, docks, and canals—and metaphorically as a symbol of life, death, opportunity, frustration, beauty, and danger. This theme draws from the isolation of City's overlooked edges, reflecting personal turmoil and the city's underutilized surroundings that amplify characters' internal struggles. Balser's vision centers on revealing the true nature of characters through unforeseen conflicts, inspired by his Brooklyn upbringing and influences like the anthology Wild Tales, to capture deep, authentic moments in a lesser-seen .

Story Segments

The anthology film What Doesn't Float comprises seven distinct vignettes, each depicting New Yorkers navigating personal crises tied to everyday mishaps, often involving as a central element. These segments unfold episodically, emphasizing individual struggles within the city's chaotic fabric without overarching narrative resolution. The first vignette centers on a paddleboarder (played by ) who collects bottles in an urban canal, leading to a tense confrontation with a passerby amid a painful misunderstanding. Set against the waterways of , it highlights the isolation and miscommunication that can arise in public spaces. In the second segment, a flirtatious young woman ( as Alex) discovers her crush may have harmful intentions, forcing her to confront her vulnerabilities. This story underscores themes of trust and danger in urban encounters. The third vignette features Marco (), an older man, and a young girl ( and Umoh as Alice), who share a moment of unexpected wisdom tinged with rage and protectiveness near a neighborhood . Their interaction explores intergenerational bonds strained by sudden urban conflicts. The fourth vignette involves a young man whose drug-induced pleasure turns into mistaken terror, amplifying the absurdity of altered perceptions in city life. The fifth vignette portrays a young woman (Cindy De La Cruz as ) confronting a loss tied to her past while navigating a buried secret near Brooklyn's edges, blending with environmental unease around local waters. In the sixth segment, a boy's drunken results in a deadly outcome, capturing the perils of in overlooked urban spaces. The seventh follows ( Nagle), an infirm whose reverie about the intersects with his diminishing physical abilities on a , capturing a poignant struggle against in a changing . These segments interconnect thematically through recurring New York City locales, such as Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood and the , where water motifs symbolize both opportunity and overwhelm, linking disparate lives without explicit plot resolutions. The film employs an episodic presentation, with vignettes transitioning seamlessly to build toward individual moments of decision or revelation, enhancing the anthology's episodic rhythm and dark comedic tone.

Cast

Principal Cast

stars as , the producer-star navigating the chaos of a flooded apartment in the film's opening segment, while also co-producing the through her company Gummy Films, which she founded with high school friends to bring independent stories to life. Chalamet's background in projects, including award-winning short films, informed her hands-on approach to this production. Cindy De La Cruz plays Ema, the lead figure in a vignette centered on disposal challenges amid urban strain. A Bronx-bred, first-generation Dominican American actress, brings her experience from television roles such as in Blue Bloods to her portrayal of resilient New Yorkers. Joel Nagle portrays Mike, a key character in segments exploring interpersonal conflicts within the city's undercurrents. Nagle, a seasoned with credits in major like Fighting (2009) and The Post (2017), contributes his established screen presence to the anthology's ensemble leads.

Supporting Roles

The supporting ensemble in What Doesn't Float comprises a diverse array of who bring depth to the anthology's vignettes, portraying everyday New Yorkers navigating personal crises and interpersonal dynamics around the city's waterways. These roles, often brief but impactful, amplify the film's darkly comedic tone by injecting moments of humor, awkwardness, and simmering tension into the interconnected stories. Larry Fessenden portrays Marco, a character central to a tense encounter segment that blends elements of , protection, and unexpected , highlighting the raw emotional undercurrents of urban isolation. His performance adds a layer of gritty authenticity, drawing on his extensive background in independent horror and drama to underscore the vignette's exploration of fleeting human connections. Roger Howarth plays the Paddle Boarder in a waterfront confrontation , where his role involves a misunderstanding that escalates into comedic yet fraught interaction. This segment relies on Howarth's subtle delivery to balance humor with underlying on class and environment. Additional supporting players further enrich the anthology's mosaic, including Mirlande Amazan as Mother, Alana Raquel Bowers as Z, and Rachel Cockrill as Kate in various set near rivers or elevated urban spaces, where their portrayals heighten the humor through exaggerated reactions and the tension via understated vulnerability. These performances collectively emphasize the film's DIY aesthetic, making the characters feel lived-in and relatable. The ensemble's composition reflects City's multicultural fabric, featuring performers from varied backgrounds who embody the boroughs' ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, thereby broadening the anthology's portrait of resilience amid frustration. This approach ensures the vignettes resonate as a collective snapshot of the city's eclectic populace, without overshadowing the principal leads in shared narrative threads.

Production

Development and Pre-Production

The development of What Doesn't Float originated in 2019 from discussions between writer Shauna Fitzgerald and producer over dinner in , where they explored ideas drawn from the everyday absurdities of life. The project's structure was inspired by the 2014 Argentine film Wild Tales, which used interconnected vignettes to delve into human behavior under pressure, prompting Fitzgerald and director Luca Balser to adapt a similar format centered on personal crises. Balser, who had known Chalamet since her teenage years, joined the effort after Fitzgerald approached him with initial concepts based on her own experiences, gradually expanding them into seven distinct stories. That same year, Chalamet co-founded with Balser and producer Rachel Walden to serve as the independent production company, providing a platform for their collaborative indie projects and emphasizing director-driven creativity. The writing process was iterative and piecemeal, with Fitzgerald crafting the through close collaboration with Balser; starting from three core vignettes rooted in real-life anecdotes, they developed the full set over time, unifying them thematically around water as a symbol and catalyst for emotional and existential turmoil in urban settings like beaches, docks, and canals. In September 2023, Circle Collective, the film's distributor, secured a interim agreement, allowing for promotion and press activities during the ongoing strike, including interviews with Chalamet. Severe budget limitations—bolstered by $30,000 in and Balser's personal savings from prior gigs on and —dictated a low-key, guerrilla-style approach reliant on accessible locations, a minimal crew, and no permits for initial shoots to keep costs down.

Filming and Post-Production

Filming for What Doesn't Float began in 2019 and spanned four years, with conducted on a piecemeal basis due to intermittent efforts and disruptions from the . The production adopted a vignette-by-vignette approach, allowing the team to secure resources between shoots, including a pandemic-era " bubble" in to safely film isolated segments. This extended timeline posed challenges in maintaining continuity, as the film employed multiple cinematographers, including and Hunter Zimny, across diverse outdoor locations. Shooting took place primarily in New York City, utilizing practical locations to capture the film's urban and liminal atmospheres, such as Gowanus canals in Brooklyn, shipyards in Staten Island, Floyd Bennett Field in the Rockaways, Hell's Kitchen rooftops, and scenes on the Lower New York Bay involving a fishing boat. The production operated on a low budget of approximately $30,000, crowdfunded alongside personal investments from director Luca Balser, which necessitated a small crew and guerrilla-style filming without permits in some instances, leading to encounters like park ranger chases. Weather-dependent water scenes—featuring elements like kayaks, canoes, and motorcycles near docks and beaches—were particularly challenging, often shot during cold fall and winter nights to evoke the anthology's themes of isolation and crisis. Technically, was digitally using two units, recording in with vintage lenses to emulate a 16mm aesthetic and achieve a gritty, naturalistic visual style. was handled entirely with tools, including Studio for editing and color grading, which enhanced the urban mood through subtle adjustments to light and texture while preserving the raw feel of the practical locations. utilized the Fairlight page in Resolve for creating temporary mixes and integrating the original score, with an emphasis on ambient water effects to underscore the vignettes' thematic connections to waterways. were minimal, limited to practical element removal via the page, relying instead on the authenticity of on-location shooting without extensive digital augmentation.

Release

Premiere and Theatrical Distribution

The world premiere of What Doesn't Float took place on June 10, 2023, at the in , , marking the debut of Balser's featuring seven vignettes of New Yorkers facing personal crises. The festival screening highlighted the film's NYC-based production and , including star and producer , drawing early attention from indie film circles. Following its festival debut, the film received a limited U.S. theatrical release on September 22, 2023, distributed by arthouse label Circle Collective, which had acquired worldwide rights earlier that summer. The rollout began in select theaters, such as the Roxy Cinema in , where initial screenings sold out, before expanding modestly to other independent venues across the country. This strategy emphasized intimate, urban screenings to align with the film's thematic focus on New York life. The domestic performance reflected its niche appeal, earning approximately $18,000 from limited engagements. Marketing efforts centered on the film's anthology format and Chalamet's rising profile, with an official trailer released on August 10, 2023, that showcased vignettes of and urban dysfunction to build buzz among audiences. Circle Collective partnered with festivals like the Nashville Film Festival for additional promotional screenings, leveraging these events to foster word-of-mouth and critical interest without a wide commercial push. Internationally, sales were managed by , which secured deals for European territories and others in early 2024, expanding the film's reach beyond its U.S.-centric debut.

Home Media and Streaming

The home media release of What Doesn't Float occurred on September 26, 2023, through Circle Collective, distributed by . This edition included both Blu-ray and DVD formats, with a limited slipcover version restricted to 1,000 units, featuring additional collectible packaging designed by Stephanie Monohan. The release offered bonus materials such as an track with Luca Balser, producer , and producer Rachel Walden; a bloopers reel; behind-the-scenes images; and the film's original score. Technical specifications were limited to /AVC MPEG-4 video in a 2.39:1 and English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo audio, with English SDH subtitles; no UHD edition has been announced as of 2025. Digital distribution began with video-on-demand (VOD) availability on platforms including Amazon Video and Apple TV starting October 25, 2023, facilitated by Glass Eye Pix. The film made its subscription streaming debut on OVID.tv on January 26, 2024, expanding access for audiences interested in independent cinema. By late 2024, availability persisted across these services—OVID.tv for subscription viewing and Amazon Video/Apple TV for rental or purchase—enhancing reach to indie film enthusiasts. As of November 2025, it is also available on Kanopy and Fawesome for free streaming with subscription or ads, without further major platform additions reported.

Reception

Critical Response

What Doesn't Float received positive critical reception, earning a 100% approval rating on based on six reviews, though the limited number of critiques highlights its niche independent status. awarded it a B−, praising the film's elegant with composed golden-hour shots that elevate its microbudget aesthetic, while critiquing its reliance on familiar indie clichés such as a wise child befriending an elderly man. Critics highlighted strengths in the anthology's structure, with Screen Anarchy commending the seven vignettes for their depth in exploring character crises tied to water, describing it as a "wonderfully crafted series of stories" that convey subtle humor amid heightened emotions. Similarly, the , through Lois Alter Mark, praised the authenticity of the characters, noting, "It’s a real feat that each character feels so multi-dimensional when we only get to meet them for a few minutes," achieved through excellent performances and intimate camera work. However, some reviewers found the pacing uneven due to the anthology format's abrupt transitions and lack of cohesion. Third Coast Review observed that certain scenes feel jarring or overly quick, such as a man choking on fish, which borders on bizarre without deeper commentary. The New York Movie Guru echoed this, calling the editing between stories abrupt and the overall film "less than the sum of its parts," despite its gritty portrayal of struggles. Comparisons to the 2014 anthology Wild Tales positioned What Doesn't Float as both an homage to the multi-story format—inspired directly by the Argentine film—and derivative in its execution of interconnected yet standalone tales. The film frequently employs water as a for emotional drowning and , with settings like beaches and fish tanks symbolizing life's precarious "sinking or swimming" in . Critics like those at appreciated this thematic fixation, which unifies the vignettes around characters at their breaking points, while portraying itself as a vivid character shaping these messy lives.

Box Office and Audience Metrics

The film "What Doesn't Float" achieved a modest theatrical gross of $17,980 domestically during its limited 2023 release, primarily through screenings in select venues such as the Roxy Cinema in and Brain Dead Studios in . This performance underscores the challenges faced by low-budget features in securing wide distribution, with opening weekend earnings of $4,913 across one theater reflecting its niche appeal. Home media releases contributed significantly to its post-theatrical reach, particularly through the Blu-ray edition, a limited run of 1,000 units that sold out its initial slipcover variant, indicating strong demand among collectors. The edition's popularity is evidenced by its 4.3/5 average customer rating from 32 reviews on the distributor's site, with buyers praising the transfer quality and packaging as a worthwhile for enthusiasts. Availability on streaming platforms further extended its audience; since its debut on OVID.tv in January 2024, the film has garnered additional viewership, complemented by uploads on that have accumulated thousands of trailer views alone. In May 2025, the full film was made available on , further broadening access. Audience reception metrics highlight a polarized but engaged response, with an IMDb user rating of 6.7/10 based on 81 votes, suggesting moderate appreciation for its ensemble-driven vignettes. On , it holds a 3.3/5 average from 428 user logs, where viewers frequently commend the short-form storytelling for capturing raw dynamics, though some note its uneven pacing. These scores reflect the film's low mainstream visibility, attributed to the absence of major awards or festival breakthroughs, yet it has cultivated a dedicated following in independent cinema circles by 2025, bolstered by retrospective discussions on genre sites.

References

  1. [1]
    What Doesn't Float - Rotten Tomatoes
    Rating 100% (6) What Doesn't Float – a collection of seven narratively disparate vignettes – starts from this source of life, death, opportunity, and frustration to explore the ...Missing: plot | Show results with:plot
  2. [2]
    'What Doesn't Float' Review: Pauline Chalamet in NYC-Set Anthology
    Sep 22, 2023 · Pauline Chalamet produces and stars in the NYC-set anthology film "What Doesn't Float" from director Luca Balser.Missing: plot | Show results with:plot
  3. [3]
    WHAT DOESN'T FLOAT Review: Vignette Moments That Run Deep
    Sep 19, 2023 · What Doesn't Float tells seven stories of people in strange moments of crisis, in locations and storeis centred around water.
  4. [4]
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - IMDb
    Rating 6.7/10 (81) It's comprised of a series of little short stories, poems or rather haikus actually. They're all seemingly unrelated for the most part.
  5. [5]
    WHAT DOESN'T FLOAT presents a thoughtful anthology of social norms — Moviejawn
    No readable text found in the HTML.<|control11|><|separator|>
  6. [6]
    We All Don't Float Together with Luca Balser - Bleeding Edge
    Oct 10, 2023 · What Doesn't Float is an anthology of seven different stories, all taking place in a version of New York City that one rarely gets to see in the ...Missing: plot | Show results with:plot
  7. [7]
    This new Brooklyn-based movie captures the comical humiliations of ...
    Sep 28, 2023 · Their idea comes to life in the new movie “What Doesn't Float,” directed by Balser, co-produced by Chalamet and Rachel Walden, and written by ...Missing: plot | Show results with:plot<|control11|><|separator|>
  8. [8]
    WHAT DOESN'T FLOAT – Review by Lois Alter Mark
    Sep 15, 2023 · There are eight million stories in the naked city. What Doesn't Float features seven of them. Well, snippets of them.
  9. [9]
    Pauline Chalamet does it all
    Oct 27, 2023 · For her latest, What Doesn't Float, she wanted it to 'be' so badly that she and her friends built a whole production company to make it happen.
  10. [10]
    7 Things You Didn't Know About Pauline Chalamet! - AfterBuzz TV
    Mar 17, 2022 · Pauline is an accredited actress winning Best Actress at the IndieXFilmFest for a short French film she acted in. You might also be familiar ...
  11. [11]
    [PDF] CIndy De La Cruz Resume - David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
    What Doesn't Float. Ema. Gummy Films/. Apple TV+/Amazon Prime. Luca Balser ... Best Actor Short 2022: Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival. SPECIAL SKILLS.
  12. [12]
    Cindy De La Cruz
    Cindy De La Cruz. She/her. Cindy De La Cruz is a Bronx bred first ... Kevin Smith); What Doesn't Float (Dir. Luca Balser / Gummy Films). Website ...
  13. [13]
    Cindy De La Cruz - IMDb
    Cindy De La Cruz. Actress: Blue Bloods. Cindy De La Cruz is known for Blue Bloods (2010), What Doesn't Float (2023) and The Village (2019).
  14. [14]
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - Full cast & crew - IMDb
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - Cast and crew credits ... Pauline Chalamet · Pauline Chalamet · Alex ... Alexandra Templer · Jane · Chanel Umoh · Chanel ...
  15. [15]
    Joel Nagle - IMDb
    Joel Nagle. Actor: Fighting. Joel Nagle is known for Fighting ( ... What Doesn't Float (2023). What Doesn't Float. 6.7. Mike. 2023. Rafael Cebrián in ...
  16. [16]
    Three Great Things: Pauline Chalamet - Talkhouse
    Sep 22, 2023 · In 2019, she co-founded GUMMY Films with Luca Balser and Rachel Walden, after developing, producing and acting in What Doesn't Float. Previous ...
  17. [17]
    An Introduction to Gummy Films with Rachel Walden & Pauline ...
    Oct 18, 2023 · Bleeding Edge gives the inside scoop on the hot new production company behind What Doesn't Float, Gummy Films.Missing: background | Show results with:background
  18. [18]
    Circle Collective indie 'What Doesn't Float' gets SAG-AFTRA IA ...
    Sep 9, 2023 · Circle Collective's independent anthology What Doesn't Float has secured a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, paving the way for star-producer Pauline Chalamet.Missing: vision | Show results with:vision
  19. [19]
    Anthology Film What Doesn't Float Shot and Edited with Blackmagic ...
    ... film “What Doesn't Float” was shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K digital film cameras and used DaVinci Resolve Studio across post ...Missing: filming | Show results with:filming
  20. [20]
    Pauline Chalamet Movie 'What Doesn't Float' Gets Distribution Deal
    Jun 6, 2023 · Arthouse distro Circle Collective has acquired worldwide rights to Luca Balser's (Uncut Gems) NYC anthology film What Doesn't Float.
  21. [21]
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - Release info - IMDb
    Release info. What Doesn't Float. Jump to. Release date (3), Also known as (AKA) (5). Edit. Release date. United States. June 10, 2023(Lighthouse International ...
  22. [22]
    Lighthouse 2023: Final Wave Announced, Brittany Snow's ...
    May 15, 2023 · What Doesn't Float (dir. Luca Balser). USA, 70 minutes // World Premiere. Seven stories. One city. A disparate group of characters fill out ...
  23. [23]
    'Stop Making Sense' Talks Up $800k Weekend, $1.4M Cume As ...
    Sep 24, 2023 · Circle Collective's anthology feature What Doesn't Float earned $5k from three sold-out shows at Roxy Cinema in Tribeca. Best of Deadline.
  24. [24]
    'What Doesn't Float' Trailer - Luca Balser Directs Dark Comedy ...
    Sep 3, 2023 · What Doesn't Float is an ensemble feature that paints six lively vignettes with New York City as its canvas.Missing: summaries | Show results with:summaries
  25. [25]
    2023 FILM GUIDE & SCHEDULE - NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL
    ... trailers and promotional campaigns. "Tuned for Intrigue" offers an ... An evocative il... Monday, October 2, 2023. What Doesn't Float. New Director ...
  26. [26]
    Utopia to launch EFM sales on Julie Pacino psychological horror 'I ...
    Feb 1, 2024 · In recent months Utopia has closed territory sales on titles such as Divinity, Shiva Baby, Chestnut, and What Doesn't Float, among others.
  27. [27]
    Circle Collective | DVD Database
    Releases ; What Doesn't Float · What Doesn't Float (Blu-ray). What Doesn't Float (Front). 2020, Limited Edition: September 26, 2023 ; With Love and a Major Organ.<|separator|>
  28. [28]
    What's New on DVD/Blu-ray in September: Past Lives & More |
    Sep 26, 2023 · What Doesn't Float (Circle Collective): An ensemble cast (including Larry Fessenden) copes with a crisis in New York City in this darkly comic ...
  29. [29]
    What Doesn't Float - Blu-ray News and Reviews | High Def Digest
    What Doesn't Float ; Movie Release Year: 2020 ; Specs: This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Stephanie Monohan) is limited to 1,000 units ; Video ...
  30. [30]
    What Doesn't Float - Vinegar Syndrome
    Rating 4.3 (32) · Free delivery over $100Seven stories. One city. A disparate group of characters fill out this darkly comedic anthology of New Yorkers at their wits end.
  31. [31]
    WHAT DOESN'T FLOAT now streaming! - Glass Eye Pix
    Oct 25, 2023 · Luca Balser's WHAT DOESN'T FLOAT (featuring Fessenden)now streaming on Amazon Video and Apple.<|control11|><|separator|>
  32. [32]
    OVID's January Lineup: Edward Said (now more than ever), Rojek ...
    Dec 22, 2023 · Also based on true events, What Doesn't Float by Luca Balser with Pauline Chalamet, Larry Fessenden, and Keith Poulson, leading an ensemble ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  33. [33]
    What Doesn't Float streaming: where to watch online? - JustWatch
    May 9, 2023 · Currently you are able to watch "What Doesn't Float" streaming on OVID. It is also possible to buy "What Doesn't Float" on Amazon Video, Apple TV as download ...Missing: Mike | Show results with:Mike
  34. [34]
    What Doesn't Float - Where to Watch and Stream - TV Guide
    What Doesn't Float. Watchlist. 2023; 1 hr 9 mins; Comedy, Drama. Watchlist. Watchlist. A darkly comedic anthology comprising seven vignettes about New Yorkers ...Missing: summaries | Show results with:summaries
  35. [35]
  36. [36]
    Reviews for September 22nd, 2023 - The NYC Movie Guru
    What Doesn't Float is an anthology film about New Yorkers in various stages of struggle. The screenplay by Shauna Fitzgerald has eight short stories with ...
  37. [37]
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - Box Office and Financial Information
    What Doesn't Float (2023) ; Opening Weekend: $4,913 (27.3% of total gross) ; Legs: 3.66 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) ; Theater counts: 1 opening theaters/ ...
  38. [38]
    The Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in January ...
    Jan 12, 2024 · The most high-profile of this month's exclusives is Luca Balser's anthology “What Doesn't Float,” produced by Pauline Chalamet (of the “Wonka” ...
  39. [39]
    What Doesn't Float | Official Trailer | Circle Collective - YouTube
    Aug 10, 2023 · https://www.whatdoesntfloat.com/ Seven stories. One city. A group of characters fill out this darkly comedic anthology of New Yorkers at ...
  40. [40]
    What Doesn't Float (2023) - Luca Balser - Letterboxd
    Rating 3.3 (428) Synopsis. An anthology of New Yorkers at their wit's end. Cast · Crew · Details · Genres · Releases. Cast. Pauline Chalamet Larry Fessenden Roger Howarth ...
  41. [41]