Pool | 2020

Main Plot

In Pool, 24-year-old Johan drifts through a sun-soaked existence in Nice, living off the generosity of Celeste, a once-famous actress now past her prime. His days are a languid blend of lounging at Celeste’s elegant home, basking on the Riviera’s beaches, and hanging out at his friend Kurt’s apartment. Surrounded by comfort and indulgence, Johan seems to lead a carefree life. However, beneath the surface, he is haunted by memories that gradually intrude upon his seemingly idyllic routine. As the lazy days pass, these recollections begin to disrupt Johan’s sense of ease, revealing cracks in his luxurious lifestyle. The film explores the tension between present pleasures and unresolved pasts, painting a portrait of a young man caught between the allure of leisure and the weight of what he cannot forget.

Characters

• Niclas Gillis plays Johan, a young man adrift in the luxury of Nice, living off the generosity of others. As he confronts his own purposelessness, Johan is forced to reckon with haunting memories and the emptiness beneath his carefree facade.
• Natacha Guyon-Anderson portrays Celeste, a faded star whose wealth and affection sustain Johan's idle lifestyle. Her relationship with Johan exposes vulnerabilities and the ache of lost youth, challenging both to confront uncomfortable truths.
• Nino Wongchaiseree is Kurt, Johan’s confidant and companion in leisure, whose apartment becomes a refuge from reality. Kurt's presence complicates Johan's journey, offering both escape and a mirror to his growing sense of disconnection.

Ending Explained

As Pool draws to a close, Johan is forced to confront the emptiness beneath his seemingly idyllic lifestyle. The comfort and luxury provided by Celeste, once a source of security, now feel stifling as Johan grapples with a growing sense of aimlessness. Tensions rise between Johan and Celeste, culminating in a quiet but decisive separation that leaves both characters adrift—Celeste facing her own fading relevance, and Johan left to reckon with his lack of direction. The film’s final scenes find Johan wandering the familiar spaces of Nice—the beaches, Kurt’s apartment, and Celeste’s now-empty house—each location now tinged with a sense of loss and nostalgia. Rather than offering a neat resolution, the ending lingers on Johan’s uncertainty, suggesting that true fulfillment cannot be found in leisure or dependency. The story closes with Johan alone, poised between the comforts of his past and the daunting prospect of forging his own path, leaving viewers with a poignant meditation on youth, memory, and the search for meaning.