Many films have been dedicated to the unique time of almost-adulthood. That moment of graduation where grown up life begins, but the process of growing still continues. French filmmaker Nicolas Dozol explores that paradox in one night through the foreboding drama Last Party.

The setting is a graduation party, filled with teenagers looking to get drunk, get high, and hook up. Presented as one continuous shot, the story follows four partygoers at their own personal crossroads. There’s Angela (Lucie Cecchi), a withdrawn young woman who refuses to join in the revelry until a letdown and a spiked drink send her down a dark road. There’s Alex (Remi Gerard), a jock struggling with his sexuality who finds a haven from the debauchery in the arms of sensitive party host Romain (Victorien Bonnet). Ethan (Teddy Hardy), Angela’s boyfriend, finds his unappreciated concern destructive, while Lily (Uma Condolo) finds peer pressure pushing her towards a hook up she isn’t sure she wants.

All four stories move through the dreamscape of the party, where a heaven or hell lie just beyond a closed door. Dozol is adept at capturing the difficulties of late teenage years, where the expectation to fit in overrides personal need. All four hide deep personal insecurities beneath hostility or bravado, which leads to misunderstanding and conflict. The camera follows them like a guest at the party, leading us by the hand from one story to another. It’s an impressive exercise in tone, where feelings are at the forefront of every experience. Intimate moments, like a drug overdose, a back garden fight, or Alex and Romain’s sex scene, have a focus on the character’s expressions rather than any external hyperbole. Niels Caron’s score also does a wonderful job of putting the viewer on edge, adding to the stakes where each character is round the corner from a life changing moment.

For all this mood capturing, there is an elusiveness to the plot that can be frustrating. The character studies are so intense that it isn’t always clear if this is going somewhere, or whether we are simply hanging out with some interesting people. This confusion isn’t helped by an ending that leaves you to draw your own conclusions.

Still, if we are only spending time with this quartet, the performances make it worthwhile. All four fit into high school archetypes, but shed those preconceived notions through nuanced performances that allow them to grow the humanity underneath. Gerard in particular has an interesting arc, going from a confrontation that stems from nowhere to a tender moment that seems meant for our eyes only.

Last Party has a lot of ambition, turning the high school/teen drama on its head, while also treating those in that age bracket with more respect than you would normally see in Hollywood productions. Every risk may not work out, but it is nonetheless a thoughtful take on familiar cinematic territory. It premiered at the Chelsea Film Festival.