The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay
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The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay is a family film about a group of teens working together during a summer internship who try to solve a mystery. It follows the story of 15-year-old Quinn, who's excited to reunite with her best friend who moved to Australia. There's some teen drama and conflict. The movie has brief moments of suspense in the dark as characters search for the source of hidden sounds. Ghost stories are told, and characters use a Ouija board to try to converse with spirits. Language includes insults such as "stupid" and slang language such as "bloody." Two kids get trapped on a boat and are briefly held hostage. There's talk of crushes and flirtatious texting; teens go on a double date. On a positive note, the story features a diverse cast with smart girls who like science, and tackles social and emotional topics like how friendships evolve and change. Despite the title, dolphins don't play a prominent role as characters in the story, but the movie does touch on environmentalism as well as animal conservation.
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What's the Story?
In THE CURIOUS CASE OF DOLPHIN BAY, an ambitious high schooler named Quinn (Izabela Rose) travels to Australia for a summer internship with her best friend, Daniella (Ella Proberts), where she's excited to learn about marine biology at an ocean research center. When she arrives, she realizes they're not the only two interns, like she expected, and Daniella has a new best friend. While facing that disappointment, Quinn and the other interns learn that there's something going on in the bay. The dolphins are beginning to leave, and they aren't sure why. Meanwhile, Teddy (Jayden McGinlay), another intern who is an adventurer and explorer, is on a mission to find his family's lost treasure, which he believes is hidden somewhere around Dolphin Bay. When mysterious events start to occur, the teens believe they're being haunted by the ghost of a local legend named Everly Fallow. Will the group be able to work together to solve the mystery of the lost treasure and what's happening in the bay? As the story unfolds, viewers will see characters navigate old friendships and make new ones, as well as learn that sometimes being open to new things can help you discover new possibilities, or even solve mysteries.
Is It Any Good?
The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay is a pleasant story with a mystery that's actually fun to solve. Though it's not a complete mind bender, younger viewers may enjoy trying to determine what's happening in the bay, why the dolphins are leaving, and what's going on with the ghost. It's nice to see repeated references to environmentalism and working through hypotheses and experiments while the teens work at their internship. But the relationships outside of their work often feel obnoxious and unnecessary.
The movie had potential to be a strong story about girls teaming up to solve a case, but instead spends too much time on teen girl drama. Two of the girls seem to care more about popularity and boys than the internship or the mystery at hand. Though that might be bothersome for some viewers eager to see the combined efforts of girl power, it does offer a realistic look at how friendships shift and evolve through the years. Though the scenes with tension between friends are often uncomfortable, there's redemption (though brief) near the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about environmentalism and what effect humans have on oceans today. Can small things like picking up trash make a big difference? Why, or why not?
Did you think the mystery in The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay was easy to solve? Why, or why not? Do you think mysteries are more fun to watch than other genres? If so, why?
What do you think about the teen drama and conflict? Does it feel realistic or necessary to the story? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 24, 2022
- Cast: Izabela Rose, Jayden McGinlay, Ella Proberts, Allegra Teo
- Director: Christine Luby
- Studios: MarVista Entertainment, Disney
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship, Ocean Creatures
- Run time: 85 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: July 6, 2022
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