(The 2026 DC/DOX Documentary Film Festival ran June 11-14. Check out Chris Reed’s Bucks Harbor movie review, fresh from the fest. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
Longtime photographer Pete Muller marks his feature-film debut with the documentary Bucks Harbor, which offers a meditation on different representations of manhood in the town of Machiasport, Maine. Following a vibrant cast of locals—most of them part of the area’s fishing network—Muller explores what masculinity looks like to each of them. The result proves thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking.
Occupying pride of place is the notion that vulnerability, and the ability (and willingness) to discuss emotions, allows human beings to best express their true nature. Men are usually socialized to withhold their feelings and therefore find themselves trapped in modes of behavior that are less than healthy. This can lead to addiction and violence, both of which factor in the narrative.
A recurring visual metaphor in the film is that of lobsters molting, shedding their exoskeleton as they grow. Without that hard carapace, they are very much exposed to attack, much like men who dare talk about how they feel. Based on the people we meet in Bucks Harbor, sharing can deliver profound healing.
There are four principal male protagonists: David, Mike, Mark, and Wayne. David, an addict in successful recovery, lives with his dog in a fairly messy place, chain-smoking his way through the day. When we meet him, he is in need of urgent dental work; he soon has his teeth pulled and replaced with brilliant new dentures. He also gets a fine haircut. Before long, he becomes the harbormaster. Not bad for a guy who, in the very first scene, was in the middle of turning a dead coyote into a jacket. He’s a sensitive soul, open to change, showing that a long history of drinking and drugging need not predict the future.
Mike spends a lot of time worrying about how his two boys—who work with him and his wife, Kirby, on the family fishing boat—will mature, longing to give them opportunities he never had. He particularly wants to make sure that he doesn’t replicate the tough upbringing he received. From what we see, he and Kirby are doing a great job as parents.
Mark likes to dress in drag and livestream his performances. This is not what we expect when we see him in the beginning, but it’s what makes him happy. And by all accounts, his conservative parents eventually come to terms with this side of him, as does the town. He’s just another member of the community.
Wayne is unapologetically a man’s man, with a long history of alcoholism and aggressive behavior. In contrast to the others in the ensemble, he is not so prone to contemplating his innermost hopes and dreams. At least he doesn’t drink anymore.
There are women on screen (Kirby and David’s mother, who does not hold back on what she thinks of men), but mostly this is a movie that examines the male point of view; though Bucks Harbor is the name of the place, it also refers to who is represented. And it’s a fascinating mix, defying initial expectations to hold our interest and, even more importantly, open our eyes.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
