Humboldt County is an underrated classic, full of emotion, care, and love for Humboldt county
by Julia Kelm
Humboldt County is a film about a medical student, Peter — played by Jeremy Stong — who is about to graduate into his residency. However, after he’s failed by his father who is also his professor, he ends up sleeping with an actress, Bogart — played by Fairuza Balk — who then takes him to Humboldt County on a whim.
Peter, shy and timid, quickly finds himself out of his element upon meeting Bogart’s eccentric friends and family, who just so happen to be pot farmers. Peter, panicked by his soon-discovered fish-out-of-water circumstance, asks to be taken home. However, due to various reasons, Peter is forced to stay until he realizes he doesn’t want to leave anymore.
My only issues were related to the pacing. There are a few moments where the film reveals information out of nowhere. Then you’re not given enough time to react before the story moves on to something else. Characters are written well, but again, certain elements of their characters don’t get enough time to shine. But, I enjoyed this film overall and rate it a 3.5 out of 5 Julia’s.
Regardless, it’s surprisingly sweet and poignant for a film that was advertised as a stoner flick. The journey Peter finds himself on and the connections he has within this wacky group of people feel so relatable and human.
I don’t want to spoil details, but Peter and the character he befriends, Max, share a very interesting relationship as they compare their lives to one another. Both of them were raised with different philosophies. There’s a sense of jealousy from both of them as they yearn for each other’s lives. The connections between characters is probably the strongest attribute of this film.
Every character introduced, small or large, all feel like real life — especially when the people you’re seeing on screen are so similar to who you know or have met in Arcata.
Humboldt County was indeed filmed in Humboldt, specifically in locations including here in Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, the College of the Redwoods, and Luffenholtz Beach in Trinidad. So, not only does this movie feel real, it feels like home.
If you’re interested in watching Humboldt County, it’s currently available on Tubi, my favorite streaming platform, because it’s completely free.
Julia is a journalism major, and is the life and arts editor for the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest, and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you want her to review, email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.