Finestkind

As a crash course in the particulars of New England commercial fishing, Finestkind affectionately captures its setting, both in the chaos on the water and the camaraderie on the deck.

There’s an authenticity to the blue-collar characters and their hardscrabble circumstances, with rugged macho posturing masking internal vulnerability and fear.

However, this ensemble drama from director Brian Helgeland (42) waters down its well-researched specifics — from marine terminology to the inner workings of a trawling vessel — into a conventional thriller about survival at sea. Then it transitions into a crime saga in the third act, only to settle for mobster drama contrivances.

The story centers on Charlie (Toby Wallace), who is slated to attend law school but first wants to spend a summer trying to reconnect with troubled older brother Tom (Ben Foster), who captains a Boston scallop boat with a loyal ragtag crew.

They share a mother (Lolita Davidovich) but have been raised apart, with separate fathers. The Finestkind, as the boat is called, belongs to Tom’s dad (Tommy Lee Jones), an irascible loner whose worst qualities have been passed down.

Charlie wants to immerse himself into the lifestyle, however grimy and smelly that might be. In the process, he’s drawn to Mabel (Jenna Ortega), a young woman likewise seeking stability.

Meanwhile, Tom gets greedy during an expedition near Canadian waters, sensing a more lucrative catch. “Getting caught is not an option,” he ominously foreshadows.

But after the ensuing legal trouble, Tom needs some quick cash to make things right. As the stakes intensify, Charlie’s loyalties inevitably become torn.

At its core, the film is a coming-of-age melodrama about self-discovery and fractured families, along with the impact of rugged masculinity on the inextricable bonds of brotherhood, and lifelong links between generations.

Wallace (The Royal Hotel) provides an emotional anchor with a character who is our window into this harsh and unforgiving lifestyle. Foster (Hell or High Water) conveys an appropriate loose-cannon energy stemming from unresolved hostilities.  Jones brings the expected gruff gravitas to a role that’s more complex than it initially appears.

Still, the characters are generally saddled with predictable narrative beats as the film tries to generate sympathy through desperation. The result is a muddled morality tale that struggles to stay afloat.

Rated R, 126 minutes.