Two brothers find bag of gold coins in dead man’s house and hide it from friends, but it sets them on a course of suspicion and violence. A film by Kevin McMullin, starring Keean Johnson, Daniel Zolghadri, Alex Neustaedter, Jaeden Martell, and Shea Whigham.

A band of thieves, Alan (Keean Johnson), Smitty (Daniel Zolghadri), and Red (Alex Neustaedter), break in a mansion, seeking to pilfer valuables and cash. However, their operation is thwarted by the unexpected return of the couple, forcing Smitty to flee back upstairs. Faced with the prospect of getting caught, Smitty makes a desperate leap from the second-floor balcony, shattering his ankle in the impact. Aland and Red rush to his aid, carrying him to safety as they abandon the scene, inadvertently leaving behind Smitty’s left shoe on the premises.

Alan and Red bring Smitty to Alan’s home, where his younger brother Peter is curious about what they have been up to. Alan shuts the bedroom door, blocking Peter’s prying eyes. However, Peter eavesdrops on their conversation through the air vent in the living room.

The three gather at a local restaurant to discuss their next target. The blasting music from a car of vacationing city teenagers interrupts them. Red, who is agitated by the music, demands that they turn the music down. Before things escalate, the girl in the pale yellow t-shirt turns off the music, observed by Officer Kent from nearby. Alan is impressed with the girl, Mary (Kristine Froseth).

On the pier, the trio learns of Captain Xavier Meyer’s death at his home on Sandy Point Peninsula. Red urges his friends to explore Meyer’s house tonight, but Alan refuses, citing Meyer’s local status and Red’s unsuitability as a lookout. Undeterred, Red suggests recruiting Peter as their lookout.

Officer Kent (Shea Whigham) tracks Smitty from a shoe left at the scene of the break-in. Smitty confesses and reveals the group’s next target. Officer Kent plans to ambush them.

During their burglary, Alan discovers a hidden shaft beneath the wooden floorboard, which he is unable to reach. He asks Peter for help, and Peter successfully grabs a bag containing ancient gold coins.

After leaving Xavier’s house, the trio encounters Officer Kent. Alan improvises, using himself as a decoy so Red and his brother can flee in opposite directions. However, Red abandons Peter and escapes alone by boat. Alan is captured by Officer Kent.

Peter buries the gold coins on the island and trades a box of cigars he found in Xavier’s house for passage on a boat back to the mainland. He later tells Alan that Red intentionally abandoned him on the island, but Red denies the accusation, claiming that he did not see anyone.

Alan and Peter bring the stolen jewelry to a local pawn shop, only to discover that it is all fake except for an ancient gold coin that is valued at $1,000.

Written and directed by American filmmaker Kevin McMullin in his directorial debut, LOW TIDE boasts a compelling narrative, with all of its cast members delivering excellent performances, especially Alex Neustaedter and Keean Johnson. Their performances create a sense of unease, as if something sinister lurks within them and could erupt into violence at any moment. However, the story itself is rather straightforward, lacking any unexpected twists. This arguably makes the film less memorable than it could have been.

LOW TIDE premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on 28 April 2019. The film had its limited theatrical release in the United States on 4 October, by A24.