Cruise

🧠 Plot Synopsis

Cruise (2018) is a romance drama film set in New York during the summer of ’87, released in 2018. The film’s protagonist is Gio Fortunato, an Italian-American working class greaser played by Spencer Boldman. Gio is a stereotypical ‘70s and ‘80s American greaser whose social life revolves around cars, racing, and girls. He embodies a dying subculture engrossed in rivalry, heritage, and worn-out customs.

A turning point in his life occurs when he meets Jessica Weinberg, played by Emily Ratajkowski. She is a beautiful and intelligent girl from Long Island. Her curiosity and boredom with her uptight suburban life draw her into street cruising culture. Their relationship begins with mutual attraction but gradually evolves into a complicated bond that is life-changing for both characters.

Jessica and Gio come from starkly different backgrounds. While Jessica is educated, progressive, and headed to college, Gio is confined to his neighborhood, leading a life of aimless nighttime drives and vanity. As the couple spends time together riding in cars, sneaking into clubs, and exploring the less glamorous parts of the city, they grapple with love, identity, ambition, and class.

Cruise’s central conflict goes beyond the scope of a summer romance; it pertains to choice. Gio is torn between two options: holding onto his friends and life as a semi-celebrity on the streets or embracing the uncertain future that Jessica might symbolize. In the same vein, Jessica is attracted to Gio, but she must interrogate whether it stems from genuine interest or as a means to escape her privileged and constricting surroundings.

🎭 Characters and Performances

Gio Fortunato (Spencer Boldman)

Boldman deftly embodies the spirit of an ‘80s greaser: loyal, cocky, and emotionally shallow beneath layers of bravado. His performance anchors the film and gives it authenticity by capturing the restless spirit of a young man stifled by the ease of his circumstances. As Gio, Boldman proves to be charming and vulnerable, enhancing the character’s emotional development to make it feel real and captivating.

Jessica Weinberg (Emily Ratajkowski)

Emily Ratajkowski brings unexpected depth to Jessica, a character who risks being pigeon-holed into the archetype of a rebellious rich girl. Rather, Ratajkowski portrays her as observant, self-assured, and introspective. The chemistry she shares with Boldman is striking, and she provides wonderful balance to Gio’s spontaneity, responding with counterintuitive, measured thoughtfulness.

Supporting Characters

The film includes a vivid grouping of friends, mechanics, and local characters who represent the car culture of Queens in the late 1980s. Although not fully fleshed out, these secondary roles aid to deepen the texture, attitudes, generational conflict, and friction that surround the primary relationship.

🎥 Themes and Symbolism

Social Class and Culture Clash

At its center, Cruise is a love story wrapped in a shell of socioeconomic and cultural disparity. Gio’s universe is blue-collar, masculine, and tribal; Jessica’s is intellectual, refined, and individualistic. Their love story is a fleeting glimpse of a collision between two parts of America—one steeped in nostalgia, gritty and streetwise, and the other polished and suburban, looking to the future.

Masculinity and Identity

The film poses a problem on what it means to be a man in a tough community where being soft is a taboo. For Gio, the battle is not only with love, but reconceptualizing his identity outside of his car, crew, or social standing.

Freedom vs. Fate

Cars are important to the story, not only as possessions, but also as representations of freedom and choices. For Gio, racing is a form of agency that requires a lot of adrenaline. However, the concluding scenes of the movie poses a critical question – is he in charge of his life or is he just enjoying a joy ride?

🎞️ Cinematic Style and Atmosphere

With elegance and warmth, Robert D. Siegel captures the retro summer feel. The film uses neon gas station lights, chrome reflections, and synth music to create an “Americana” late ‘80’s atmosphere. Gio and Jessica’s wide shots as they drive through the boroughs depict liberty, while tight shots of garages, diners, and basements reflect emotional captivity–an underlying motif for many characters.

The period’s emotional themes, combined with its authenticity, were blended with pop hits and scores filled with synths giving the former vibe further depth, and richer texture. The denim and leather clad muscle cars and the fashion of the day, along with shoulder pads, were also incorporated into the costumes and sets.

⭐ Reception and Interpretation

Critical Response

Cruise may not have garnered a lot of critical attention when it was first released, but it did receive some mixed reviews. Some praised its nostalgic set design, casual easter eggs, and earnest performances. While other critics responded negatively to its dull, unoriginal narrative complaining it lacked any central dramatic tension. Its charming leads and the directed atmosphere did receive modest acclaim, however.

Reaction from Audience

Summer romance enthusiasts appreciated the retro elements of the film. For some others, the lack of originality and effortless resolution to the conflict both rendered it void of substance and reduced it to little more than an extended music video. Nevertheless, much of the chemistry between the romantic leads, as well as the meticulously crafted setting, added to its effortless likability.

📽️ Summary for Viewers

As a nostalgic throwback to a simpler time of teenage rebellion paired with summer flings, Cruise shines the most.

Rather than presenting a high-stakes conflict, it is a character sketch enshrouded in 80s aesthetics.

Through a dreamlike lens, the film deftly poses the question of whether we truly outgrow our roots—or are bound by them for eternity.

✅ Final Thoughts

Cruise (2018) is a romantic drama enriched with lighthearted yet evocative storytelling that is rooted in nostalgia, cultural contrast, and the chemistry between the two leads. The film captures a brief moment of young love straddling the line between two starkly different worlds, featuring grounded performances from Spencer Boldman and Emily Ratajkowski. Although the film’s narrative may take a predictable route, the journey reminiscient of retro summer flings and effortless storytelling is smooth, warm, and enjoyable.