
I picked Triangle at random and went in cold. Aside from Liam Hemsworth, none of the actors are familiar to me. Even he’s not all that familiar; I only saw the first Hunger Games. I haven’t seen any of Christopher Smith’s other films. Two people I follow on Letterboxd have seen it, but neither of them mentioned it to me. The title implies a Bermuda Triangle connection, and I’ve seen plenty of those (all of them are bad). I’m always down for a good sea story. Spoilers follow.
Our primary point of view character is Jess, played by Melissa George. She’s a single mother with a young, autistic son. Her daily routine overwhelms her. Her grasp on reality is slipping. This is all conveyed in largely wordless scenes that open the movie. Her son fades into the background as she packs her car. When she arrives at the dock to meet her friends for a sailing adventure, we’re left wondering somewhat uncomfortably where her son is.
Six people assemble for a sailing party: Greg, Victor, Jess, Sally, Heather, and Downey. The group dynamics are set up quickly, with a minimum of fuss. Greg (Michael Dorman) owns and lives on the sailboat. Victor (Liam Hemsworth) is living on the boat right now; Victor ran away from home and Greg took him in. It’s implied, but not stated, that Greg and Victor are in a relationship. Greg met Jess at the diner where she works and invited her along. Sally (Rachael Carpani) and Downey (Henry Nixon) are married and old friends of Greg’s. Heather (Emma Lung) is a friend of Sally’s and Sally’s trying to set her up with Greg, oblivious to Greg’s disinterest.