Clay

I think my main problem with this film is how much people hyped it up. I've had this film's name echo in the background throughout my life, and I've had multiple people specifically recommend this movie to me for the list talking about how great it was and how much they loved it. One person even told me that the film was a masterpiece. It was ok. It had some great shots and a memorable soundtrack, as well as some good makeup and costume design of course, but it was not a masterpiece.

The film started out pretty strong and I was interested to see the main edgy teenager boy (he's not in the photo but he has brown hair, I just forgot his name) MICHEAL. I just remembered the soundbite of the vampires screaming Micheal, his name is Micheal, but anyways as I was saying, I was interested to see Micheal grapple with his humanity after being turned into a vampire, but that never really happens. The mostly serious story focused vampire film seemingly shifts halfway through into a campy comedy. Apparently the film changed directors halfway through, so that might be why.

Sorry I would talk more, but I just don't have that much to say about. It was fine. I think it's remembered more for its swishy hairstyles and gargantuan levels of camp in the ending than it is for its well written serious moments, which is what people told me it was. I've had this problem with other old movies too. People recommended me Die Hard as this epic, dark, emotional masterpiece when that's just not what that movie is, so I ended up not liking it. I think the same thing happened here.

I just genuinely can't believe nobody told me about this film. This movie was directed by the Wachowski sisters as their debut film. Oh you know, the Wachowski sisters, just some small-time directors who also directed the obscure indie film The Matrix.

Nobody tells me anything.

Now to be fair, this is actually the first real thriller film I've seen. I did try to watch Scarface, but, I'm sorry, I thought it was boring and stopped paying attention like 10 minutes in. I know, I'm sorry, I know, sinful behavior, I know, I was a child who'd rather play video games, forgive me.

Though I did see Die Hard. I also thought that was boring, I don't know, I'm sorry. At least I enjoyed Top Gun okay?

This film, however, this was NOT boring. This was eyes peeled, screaming in your head "holy crap," at every new twist and revelation. Now, unlike other films I’ve reviewed, I don’t think I can say much more about this one without making your first viewing worse off. This is a film that hinges on its unpredictability, and I wouldn’t want to ruin that for anyone. So yeah this is a very enjoyable film about “be gay do crime.” Also it has a butch lesbian in it. She drives a pickup truck. I’m being serious. She’s one of the main characters. Her pickup truck is red. Good movie, you should watch it.

Also, I just wanna say that if you’re watching this movie and thinking about giving up because it’s too inappropriate lesbian interactions for you and not enough thriller and gun, then just give it 20 minutes, I swear. (At least give it exactly 20 minutes and 50 seconds)

This is one of the most human movies I've seen in a while, it just has so much more heart than I ever expected. It's very real, well, for the most part, I know I certainly wouldn't be so bold with all the kissing, but I'm sure someone out there would be. It's also very teenager. Very, very teenager.

It's a story about two high school girls, Agnes and Elin, and their gay romance in the 1990s small town of Åmål.

I just wanna say though that I was so pissed off about how Agnes's mom found out she was a lesbian, like really!? She found out because you left the computer on your diary doc, like are you serious? I would be so mad, I would be kicking myself all fricken day if that was how one of my parents found out. Like "Oh my gosh how'd you know?" "Uh, because I read your diary after you left it open," like oh my goodness that is the epitome of suckiness, I am sorry. I mean, to be fair, she was mad, but like, I don't know, I would be madder!

But in all seriousness, this is a movie that captures the insufferability of a seemingly inescapable small town extremely well, and lucky us to get to watch two characters suffocating in it.

I loved the way they show Elin's hatred of the lottery early on, just to have her end up watching it with her "friends" later, because what else are they supposed to do? They just want something to drag them out of the monotonous day to day of their vapid little lives. If not that then at least it's an adequate distraction. It reminded me of I Saw The TV Glow in this way that it showed a bit of the horror of everyday suburbia.

But anyways, everyone in this movie is very quiet and I don't know why. Even when they're fighting and screaming they're quiet! But I don't know, maybe it's a Swedish thing.

I FORGOT TO MENTION UNTIL NOW THAT THIS ENTIRE MOVIE IS IN SWEDISH!

So you'll have to read the subtitles if you want it in any other language.

I also love the way that all these love sick teens just look at that same damn yearbook photo, that they just keep going back to that same one because it's all they have, that same one because their town is just that damn small.

There are other things I love but well, I can't spoil everything can I? Then you wouldn't bother watching it. Besides, I think at this point I would have sufficiently convinced you to watch it if there was any hope of you doing so in the first place.

I also liked the music, it's been added to the list (the movie, not the music).

That isn't even the worst part though, because at least their dedication to it could be considered amusing, no the worst part is poor Anthony Michael Hall's character, who's persistently the most annoying creature in this entire film. He was funny at first, but then he just. kept. touching her! Like... stop?! Why?! This is not game, this is just embarrassing!? And annoying. Extremely annoying, because I want to like you, I want to like your silly character but I can't if you keep acting like an idiotic 5 year old.

I also just didn't think the movie was funny. Maybe I just have a different sense of humor, but the only thing I laughed at was getting to see different elaborate dentistry devices of the 80s. Well, to be fair, I also laughed at the macho guy hanging up the phone right as the poor woken up grandparents answered it. Also the "I've never been out with a boy before" with "oh me neither"

Also, my god, if that's what parties are like then I wanna be the only sober person there so that I could laugh at everyone else's stupidity. I actually have done that before though, twice, if was fine, I won beer pong. Probably because the other (of age) kids drank for me, but I'll still take the win.

I also just don't find a lot of the characters to be likable in general. Cherry (not her actual name, I just don't remember it) is padding after a guy who already has a girlfriend. Meanwhile the guy is padding after her even though he has a girlfriend! He also said some... "interesting" things about her after the party was over.

In case it wasn't clear, I'm writing this one as I'm watching it and right now at the 1 hour mark I am afraid and sincerely hope they don't do what I think they're going to do.

It has some funny moments and likable characters, with more of an ensemble cast where Olivia, anarchy girl, Wen, Mo, and Not Beck each have a little bit of a spotlight shown on them; though, Olivia, Wen, and Mo get a bit more focus than the others.

Some things I liked were the multiple background kids who wore baby costumes to the Halloween Bash because that's not weird at all, I liked that they got Olivia to calm down with the power of lemonade, Determinate was actually really good, I like the random kid with the propeller hat you go guy, I like the random happy music playing while the principal yelled at them, I like anarchist girl's random peacock feather cause like where did you get that, I liked seeing petty bad boyfriend leave the pizza place, I like the whole crew looking at the clouds and pointing out shapes they see until anarchy girl randomly starts venting about how she thinks she's too stupid for her family and then they all join in and start venting about their problems until Olivia ruins it by saying her dad's in prison and immediately winning the who has it worst contest, I like Mo's eyes they match her hair, I like Wen and his fake interview in the mirror that was cute, I like annoying bratty guy being the most obvious heckler ever and getting zero consequences for it, I like how when Not Beck gets rejected he immediately goes on his pissed off arc, I liked how the antagonists sang a "can you tell we're the antagonists" song, and I especially liked how when everything seemed against them they found a way to succeed waow.