- Sensibility: The way things escalate and the nature of some wounds feels a bit odd, but otherwise this insane story somehow manages to stave off complete irrationality.
- Cinematography: The shot-making is the highlight of this film. Brilliant sound design, score, and shot choice communicate so much of the film and create an unforgettable energy. There are so many excellent throwaway transition shots, like a shot of a cd spinning in a cd player and a shot of water bouncing, that create a vibe and play into the narrative. Production design, lighting, and editing are all solid.
- Energy: A great blend of coming-of-age and gory horror narratives make for a film you just can't look away from. Solid acting from the whole cast and brilliant sound design and score choices keep things pumping. An awkward ending leaves things a bit strange, but even then the film stays with you in a meaningful way.
- Narrative: Dialogue choices and characters are so good they gave me a brutal and potent, both good and bad, wave of nostalgia from high school days. It's a near perfect blend of all the typical paranoia of growing up with an additional layer of criminal fear. A bit of a messy ending, both literally and figuratively, makes for an awkward progression into an end sequence that feels a bit unnecessary and open-ended in a way that feels more confusing than thought-provoking.
- T-Points: The film received four bonus points: one for the "most erotic moment" of a kid's life, one for a touching scene where Allison comes to visit Zach, and two for two brilliantly visual and unforgettable dream sequences.
A great coming-of-age gory thriller - how wild and unique is that genre?! I think this is one of those movies I'll keep coming back to every few years, because it really captures something special about the
experience of growing up.
Number of Watches: 2
