Aahana Swrup
Chris Pine’s self-starrer directorial debut film ‘Poolman’ presents the audience with a mixed bag of genres, including detective-noir, conspiracy mystery, and absurdist comedy. The film revolves around the titular LA-based Poolman, Darren Barrenman, who is juggling another odd job as a wannabe activist in his community. Nevertheless, much like his relationship with Susan, his activism pitches at City Hall to Councilman Stephen Toronkowski don’t seem to be going anywhere. Nonetheless, life promises to turn up a new stone as the mysterious, doe-eyed June Del Rey enters Darren’s life with a covert mission to investigate the potentially corrupt Toronkowski.
Darren’s outlandish adventures as an amateur detective chart a riveting, intrigue-filled path that takes him and his oddball friends all around town. Yet, the Tahitian Tiki Apartment block and the pool there, which relies on Darren for caretaking, bookend the protagonist’s story. As such, despite the eccentricity of his misadventures, the apartment block becomes a grounded narrative beacon.
Tahitian Tiki Apartment: A Fictional Location That Shapes The Protagonist
Throughout its run, ‘Poolman’ retains a surreal narrative vibe which extends to its visual storytelling. As a result, most of the places featured in the film evoke an out-of-place and out-of-time feel. This creates a unique visual identity for the story, transporting the audience to Darren’s world and maintaining an immersive experience through different elements. As this extends to the various locations that become pitstops in the character’s journey, the same remains true for the Tahitian Tiki Apartment block. Thus, much like the rest of the narrative, the motel-like apartments are a fictional element.
Even though the Tahitian Tiki plays a vital role in the story, the narrative never bestows a distinguished identity upon the location. It’s supposed to be an apartment block, yet it remains noticeably devoid of any residents—save for Jack and Diane, Darren’s best friends. Likewise, Susan supposedly manages the place but is rarely present unless she has a date with the Poolman. Similarly, the pool—a shared amenity—is only ever visibly utilized by Darren and his friends.
As such, the apartment evidently only exists to shape the world around Darren and equip his characters with the tools to actualize. Everything about the place highlights the protagonist’s off-beat traits, including the fact that he lives in a trailer parked on the poolside rather than inside the actual apartment block. Ultimately, it becomes the ideal tool to carve out Darren’s eccentric character, introducing viewers to his quirks from the get-go.
There aren’t any similarly branded motels or apartment blocks in real life, cementing Tahitian Tiki’s fictionality. However, according to reports, the La Casa Inn Pasadena in California became the backdrop for the onscreen apartments during filming. Visually, the two locations share some dissimilarities, hinting at possible tinkering with the real-life location in the process of creating the fictional Tahitian Tiki.
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