'Searching': Not Clickbait

Without a doubt, one of the most original films to hit the big screen this year is Searching.

Searching is a "screen movie," meaning that the entire format of the film takes place as if it were from the point of view of a screen- be it a laptop, computer monitor, iPhone, or webcam. Much like how The Blair Witch Project revolutionized the "found footage" genre, Searching has the capability to make the genre of "high tech" films a growing staple in the ever-evolving Hollywood medium. Not only is it an astounding feat to create a feature film in this format, but the story itself, of a father's desperation to find his missing daughter, also stands alone as a chilling and emotional rollercoaster that stays with you long after watching.

David Kim (John Cho) is just trying to put the pieces of life back together after the unexpected death of his wife and family matriarch, Pam (Sara Sohn). Adjusting to life as a single father to their sixteen-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La), he struggles to connect with the quiet and reserved high school junior. Aside from their weekly TV nights watching The Voice, David assumes Margot is acclimating to this "new normal" on her own terms and at her own pace. That is, until Margot fails to return home from a study group one night, prompting David to do a deep dive through Margot's past and online history. This brings to light shocking information that causes David to believe that he never really knew his daughter at all.

Fresh off the heels of 'Crazy Rich Asians', 'Searching' has its own statistics that are quite impressive in this current big box office landscape- this is the first mainstream, contemporary thriller headlined by an Asian-American actor.

One woman attempting to help bring Margot home is Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing). Her no-nonsense attitude clicks with David's unwavering determination, and together, they weed out potential suspects, assemble search parties, and develop a platonic connection that is based on them both being parents. David also leans on his brother Peter (Joseph Lee) during this difficult time, but as days pass without any information, David becomes suspicious that things are not what they seem.

The merging of technology and filmmaking by first time feature director Aneesh Chaganty is a pure adrenaline rush. One doesn't have to be a millennial or familiar with the latest social media apps or hardware to enjoy the thrills in Searching. In one way or another, we can all sympathize with a parent's worst nightmare of waking up to discover your child is missing, gone without a trace. The format in which Searching was shot only heightens the suspense and, surprisingly, is never a distraction to the story unfolding.

It is, perhaps, the perfect time for the release of a movie like Searching. Fresh off the heels of Crazy Rich Asians, Searching has its own statistics that are quite impressive in this current landscape of big box office projects. As the first mainstream, contemporary thriller headlined by an Asian-American actor, Cho balances humor, grief, and optimism in his layered performance as a father looking for answers (fulfilling the wishes of the people behind the social movement #StarringJohnCho). On a more somber note, a story of the disappearance of a young woman seemingly out of thin air may remind those of Mollie Tibbetts, the missing Iowa college student who was unfortunately discovered deceased on Tuesday.

Searching premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and despite its small screen containment, it is best experienced in a theatre. Hopefully, the success that comes from this independent film won't leave audiences "searching" for Asian-American representation in mainstream movies any longer.

'Searching' is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some drug, and sexual references, and for language. 102 minutes. Opening this Friday at ArcLight Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, and AMC Century City.


'The Swan' Review: Trouble in Icelandic Paradise

If fairy tales were real, I imagine they would take place in the Icelandic countryside.

Breathtaking landscapes of luscious grassy hillsides and crystal-clear lakes have the power to romanticize any story, even if they don't end in "happily ever after." A Reykjavik native herself, 34-year-old Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir makes her feature-length directorial debut with The Swan (Svanurinn), a coming of age drama that lends a tender touch to a tale as old as time.

Equally matching the idyllic setting is The Swan's protagonist, a curious and emotionally intelligent nine-year-old girl named Sól (Gríma Valsdóttir). When we meet Sól, whose angelic demeanor steals every scene, she is getting ready to leave her parent's house near the coast to spend the summer with estranged relatives in the country. However, this isn't a vacation, or even a choice, for Sól, but rather a punishment for getting caught shoplifting.  As a consequence, her parents decide that spending a summer working on her aunt and uncle's farm to learn discipline through hard work, is just what their young girl needs.

Sól is immediately put to work, undertaking age-appropriate chores, while slowly starting to converse and become infatuated with, a twenty-something farmhand, Jón (Thor Kristjansson). Jón is equally fascinated with Sól, whose emotional maturity connects with his poetic ways. Their special bond is disrupted when Sól's older cousin Ásta (Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir) returns home from college and disrupts the tranquility of the family's daily routine. As she is quickly thrust into situations far beyond her understanding, Sól struggles to make sense of the drama unfolding within the family. To cope with her changing situation and the sudden confrontation with life and death, she escapes into her own fantasy world comprised of vivid imagery within nature.

Martin Neumeyer's eye for breathtaking imagery is on full display here, literally, every frame creates a magical quality that gives off a feeling of optimism and rebirth.

The character of Sól is a dynamic one, and Valsdóttir's performance is nothing short of astounding. Sól is both confident and timid, with creativity and empathy that far exceeds her age. Her transformation from when she arrived at the farm to the film's very last frame is an exciting journey to witness in the short 91-minute runtime. It's undeniable that a major part of what makes this so fascinating is the cinematography. Martin Neumeyer's eye for breathtaking imagery is on full display here, literally, every frame creates a magical quality that gives off a feeling of optimism and rebirth.

Unlike Under the Tree, another recent Icelandic drama that portrays a dispute in the suburbs gone terribly wrong, The Swan shows rural Iceland in its purest and most beautiful form. Audiences, much like the film's protagonist, will stare wide-eyed at the natural beauty on display, while also being reminded of the strength of love, the power of compassion, and the meaning of life.

'The Swan' is not rated. 91 minutes. Opening this Friday at the Laemmle Royal.


'Skate Kitchen': Lords of Dogtown for the New Generation

This year, the films at Sundance have shown several women in female-empowering roles: Chloë Grace Moretz educated herself in the Grand Jury Prize winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Mia Wasikowska was nobody's damsel in Damsel, and Carey Mulligan found new life in Wildlife. In director Crystal Moselle’s highly anticipated sophomore feature film The Wolfpack, she adds the fierce young females of Skate Kitchen to this list. Known in real life as "The Skate Kitchen," these newcomers to the big screen take commanding roles that champion not just women, but women skaters who can kick-flip boards as easily as they kick butt.

Growing up in the Jersey suburbs of Long Island with her single mother and no close friends, Camille (Rachelle Vinberg) is a lone wolf searching for a community of like-minded chicks to skate and hang with. When she stumbles upon an Instagram profile called “The Skate Kitchen” – an all-girl skater group with mad style – Camille is intrigued: all talented, tough, and only a short distance away. She leaves her hometown for the unknown skate parks of New York City's Lower East Side just as soon as her board's wheels touch the ground, and upon finding the girl gang, is brought in as one of their own. Each with their vibrant style, Camille feels right at home with her new chosen family and the girls proceed to run and skate around the city.

With her second feature film, Crystal Moselle proves that one of her biggest strengths as a director is her ability to blend into her surroundings and capture the essence of her real-life subjects, which she did in 2015's award-winning documentary The Wolfpack. And here, Skate Kitchen feels no different. While Moselle infuses a loose script into Skate Kitchen, the strength of this movie is the more observational and improvised moments which straddles the line between documentary and narrative. Impressively, where Wolfpack showed a group of young brothers claustrophobic in their apartment-confined existence, here Moselle is let loose in the city and flexes her artistry even further, displaying a visual style that captures the electricity and grittiness of the concrete jungle bustling with danger and possibilities. Seen from the point of view of these young women, there is a high energy and honesty that especially shines in the skate sequences and hangout sessions that evoke feelings of Kids and Lords of Dogtown for this generation.

Seen from the point of view of these young women, there is a high-energy and honesty that especially shines in the skate sequences and hangout sessions that evokes feelings of Kids and Lords of Dogtown for this generation.

However, for all of the aesthetic praise that Skate Kitchen is getting – which is entirely due – I feel like there are a few missed opportunities in not developing the story even further, which ends up largely getting by by cashing in on its currency of cool. I was hopeful that Skate Kitchen would set out to provide more insight and hardships into what being a female skater is like in the male-dominated sport of skateboarding. We do see moments like this, like when the Skate Kitchen's spots get overtaken by the boys at the skate park, but more personal moments of womanhood feel awkward and out of place (for example, a hangout that turns into the girls discussing their menstruation cycles feel weirdly slotted into the movie). I did appreciate a scene in which the girls of the Skate Kitchen rush over and attend to one of the girls after she twists her ankle following a trick down a flight of stairs, running counter to what would be the more likely scenario of male skaters leaving the injured to walk it off.

More pointedly, the story ends up falling victim to the exact opposite of what it sets out to do – empower young girls – when the entirety of the plot turns into the conflict and fallout within the group after the introduction of a boy. When Camille begins hanging around Devon (Jaden Smith), a skater from a neighboring clique, the crew's camaraderie is examined, forcing her to question the validity and depth of her friendship with the girls. For a film led by a strong director who champions feminism and girl power, I was ultimately disappointed by this predictable and overseen trope.

That said, it's undeniable that Moselle has a magic touch when it comes to finding the subjects for her films. Just as she struck cinematic gold when she discovered the Angulo brothers of The Wolfpack, Skate Kitchen sees Moselle bring a new set of fresh female talent to the screen.

This review originally ran on January 29, 2018, during the Sundance Film Festival


'A Prayer Before Dawn' Review: The Merciless Shall Inherit the Earth

Twenty-nine-year-old Joe Cole has been slowly and steadily making his mark on indie filmmaking for years, but after this stunning and unforgettable performance as a troubled, drug-addicted boxer, he has surpassed the threshold from supporting talent to a commanding presence.

A relatively quiet release from power player A24, compared to the recent buzz of Eighth Grade and Never Goin' Back, the grisly biopic A Prayer Before Dawn may be flying under the radar, but it is fierce nonetheless. Based on the horrifyingly true story of an English boxer who wound up in one of Thailand's most notorious prisons, A Prayer Before Dawn is a visceral punch in the gut powered by the innate talent of Joe Cole.

The film begins in a ritualistic way as Billy Moore (Cole) applies globs of vaseline to his face before jumping into the ring. He doesn't speak, only the chanting and shouting of Taiwanese spectators fill the open-air arena. Moore is a boxer, and while it is unclear how or why he is pursuing a career in Thailand, it's apparent that he makes his money selling drugs. A crack-addict himself, it's only a matter of time before Moore gets caught and about 10 minutes into the film that happens, and chaos ensues.

Billy arrives at the prison scared, confused, and alone. Unfamiliar with the language and the sudden culture shock, Billy realizes the only way to survive is to put on a tough front. However, faux confidence isn't enough to stop him from getting repeatedly assaulted and mentally tortured. He watches as other young men are raped by older inmates in the most degrading of ways. The men are animalistic, tattooed and sweaty, and uphold the stereotypical imagery of degenerate Thai prisons. Corruption runs amuck between prisoners and guards, and the tension builds minute by minute. Internalizing this anxiety while trying to keep a brave face pushes Billy to the brink of despair. After partaking in a boxing match with other inmates, Billy gets a stroke of luck. His talent gets the attention of the prison guards, who offer him the opportunity to join the prison's boxing team, which means moving cells and leaving the abuse behind. With just months to train and his freedom on the line, Billy makes history by becoming the first foreigner to join the Muay Thai team.

Watching [Joe Cole] onscreen, you'll feel like you've also just gone through an emotionally taxing and exhausting 9 rounds of fighting.

Joe Cole, who rose to fame on the television show Peaky Blinders, shows his versatility as not just an actor, but a leading man. A Prayer Before Dawn may not be his breakout film, due to the film's arguably one-note execution that lacks emotional depth, but his performance is nothing short gripping. Watching him onscreen, you'll feel like you've also just gone through an emotionally taxing and exhausting 9-rounds of fighting.  Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's choice to not use extensive subtitles puts the viewer in Billy's shoes as we struggle to make sense of what is unfolding in front of our eyes.  

A Prayer Before Dawn is based on the non-fiction international best-seller written by Billy Moore (who makes a well-deserved cameo at the end of the film). That said, there is much to be desired in the film adaptation- most importantly, delving into Billy's backstory. We only get a glimpse of what this man suffered through but, I wonder, if we knew more about who Billy was prior to his arrest and imprisonment, would we feel even more sympathetic towards his situation? Perhaps. That said, the raw energy that A Prayer Before Dawn creates is an accomplishment on its own, and another win for A24.

'A Prayer Before Dawn' is rated R for strong violence including a brutal rape sequence, drug use, and language throughout, some sexual content and nudity. 116 minutes. Opening today at ArcLight Hollywood and available to rent on Amazon Prime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp88Nuci68c

 


'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' Review: Chloë Grace Moretz Leads This Heartfelt Conversion Therapy Drama

There are so many good things to say about The Miseducation of Cameron Post, the second feature film from director Desiree Akhavan which played in competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic category.

Adapted from Emily Danforth’s acclaimed teen novel, Miseducation is a coming-of-age story of a young teen sent to a religious camp to pray the gay away. Led by Chloë Grace Moretz, the entire cast brings life to these characters, mixing heart and humor for moving performances. What's more, one of the most inspiring parts of this production, besides Moretz's female-empowering performance, is the below-the-line hiring, as Akhavan herself, along with the film's cinematographer, editor, co-writer, and music supervisors, are an all female crew.

Cameron Post (Moretz) sits in bible study group, silently observing the environment around her. Having grown up in a Christian household, it's been made clear since day one that there is a very clear right way and wrong way to live in the eyes of the Lord, which bodes unwell for Cameron being that she likes girls. When she is caught engaging in sexual activity with her secret girlfriend on Prom night, her life gets instantly turned upside down. Cameron is immediately sent to God’s Promise, a gay conversion therapy school run by Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.) and Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) who claim to cure “SSA,” or “Same Sex Attraction” through Christian teaching.

Luckily, like Cameron, not all of the students – or disciples, as the school calls them – are on the same page with the school's mission. Cameron quickly finds kinship in rebellious classmates Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck), who smoke poorly-grown pot and eye-roll their way through the school’s constant and hokey activities, like worksheets and collage art therapy intended to trace back what events in the students' lives "caused them to be gay." It’s evident that no one at God’s Promise wants to be at God’s Promise, but Cameron and her new friends rely on each other to get through this process as relatively unscathed as possible.

'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' serves as a beacon of light for anyone struggling with aspects of their lives and proves that being true to yourself is the only way to live.

Chloë Grace Moretz is subtle yet astounding in the title role. The authenticity she delivers as a teen struggling with her sexual identity proves she was absolutely the perfect casting choice, and she doesn't shy away from the movie's more demanding scenes of physicality with other women. Her vulnerability in this role makes it easy for audiences to see just how awful this experience is for those who are forced to partake in it (fortunately, as was reported at the post-screening Q&A, more and more states are beginning to outlaw conversion therapy in growing numbers). John Gallagher Jr. as the conflicted Rick especially shines ("Rick eating cereal"  was the movie's scene-stealing moment) and Jennifer Ehle as the domineering school leader gives another brilliant performance.

Since the release of her debut feature, Appropriate Behavior, director Desiree Akhavan has shown that the ambitions of her artistry have grown in the last four years. Back then, it seemed like a plausible assumption that she would continue to work in niche hipster fare and follow in the footsteps of Lena Dunham's style of trendy filmmaking. But with this film, she proves that she has much bigger aspirations and skills than that, creating a film that is appealing to everyone and specifically meaningful to the young LGBTQ community. The Miseducation of Cameron Post serves as a beacon of light for anyone struggling with aspects of their lives and proves that being true to yourself is the only way to live.

This review originally ran on January 26, 2018, during the Sundance Film Festival

'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' is not yet rated. 90 minutes. Opening this Friday. 


'Never Goin' Back' Review: Millennial Girls Gone Wild

Independent film distributor A24 is not one to shy away from provocative projects.

Following in the same rowdy footsteps as the company's 2012 hit Spring Breakers while keeping to a similar aesthetic as 2017's The Florida Project, comes Never Goin' Back. Set in an undisclosed small town in Texas, writer/director Augustine Frizzell's gritty girl drama is a mad dash of teenage woes, plans gone awry, and constipation, all set against a backdrop of an anticipated idyllic vacation getaway.

Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Cami Morrone) are best friends- they share their bed, their job, and even their drug habit. It's no question, then, that Angela would pull out all the stops for Jessie's 17th birthday by surprising her with a trip to Galveston to chill at the beach and celebrate seventeen in style. Figuring it was a good idea to use next month's rent money to pay for the trip, with no financial security net to fall back on (you can see where the film is going...), the girls figure that another week's worth waitressing wages from the town's local diner would be all the money they need to make up for the rent. Having dropped out of high school to make quick cash, this job is all they have. What they didn't account for is getting fired from their job, losing all their money, and eating so many weed edibles they can't think straight.

From that summary, it's clear that Never Goin' Back shouldn't be pigeon-holed as solely a drama, in fact, it is hard to justify how this is even a "drama" at all. The film's hijinks start almost immediately after a robbery gone wrong, due to a shady deal by Jessie's brother Dustin (Joel Allen), that ends up with both girls in jail for completely unrelated charges. Angela and Jessie hit rock bottom multiple times throughout the film, and each time is more over-the-top and outlandish than the last.

What is refreshing about 'Never Goin' Back' is the fact that the story doesn't center around a boyfriend, a crush, or any love interest whatsoever.

The performances from Mitchell and Morrone are strong. As two overly-confident and brash teenagers, the duo makes their relationship as "best friends forever" incredibly believable. Much in the same way the Spring Breakers girls were overly affectionate with each other and had a touchy-feely codependency about them, Angela and Jessie are also very hands-on and physical. Taking charge as more of the leader, Mitchell plays Angela with a slight arrogance, but the little rays of admirable qualities make her watchable. Morrone plays the slightly (keyword: slightly) more responsible one who ultimately gives in to Angela's peer pressuring and follows her as they both continue to make terrible decisions. Kyle Mooney has a supporting role as the girls' creepy roommate Brandon, and his performance is everything you'd expect a Mooney performance to be: funny.

What is refreshing about Never Goin' Back is the fact that the story doesn't center around a boyfriend, a crush, or any love interest whatsoever. This is an ode to the power of female friendships, no matter how dysfunctional or troublesome they may be. There are moments that seem to blur the line between what their relationship actually is- platonic, romantic, etc. -however it is never addressed as queer or bi-curious. Relationship dissecting aside, the absence of sexual desire is what makes Never Goin' Back this summer's millennial feminist flick. A comedy of errors from start to finish, Never Goin' Back may be anxiety-ridden and stressful but it's definitely not boring.

'Never Goin' Back' is rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and brief nudity - all involving teens. 85 minutes. Opening today at ArcLight Hollywood.


'Far From the Tree' Review: A Celebration of Differences

In a world where it seems everyone is looking to stand out as unique and special, being called "normal" is almost considered an insult.

However, for the subjects of Rachel Dretzin's documentary Far From the Tree, “normal” is the only label they desire. Based on the New York Times bestselling novel Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, Dretzin and the book's author Andrew Solomon explore the ways in which the actual relationships within a family dynamic can prove to be drastically different from our expectations.

Even though we share some of the same DNA as our parents, there is no guarantee that we are going to grow up to be like them or have shared interests. The phrase 'You're turning into your mother' is often said in a joking manner, with a negative connotation. But what if there was no possibility of turning out to be anything like your mother or father? 41-year-old Jason was born with down syndrome and early into his diagnosis, his mother did everything she could to give him a shot at living a normal life. For the most part, it worked. Jason became a minor celebrity as the face of someone who was "overcoming physical disabilities"; he appeared on Sesame Street, was interviewed by Barbara Walters, and his future looked bright. But as he grew older, his mother knew that he would never be a man who could function normally in society. As she talks about her fears of what will happen to him when she passes away, Jason is sitting in his bedroom dressed in all blue and wearing a tiara, watching Frozen over and over again, as he talks about his plan to travel to Norway to visit his crush, Elsa.

Original music by Nico Muhly and Yo La Tengo add to the film's emotional undercurrent and offers a sense of optimism for those undergoing difficult times.

The parent/child relationships explored in the documentary are not typical ones. The primary caretakers talk of overwhelming hardships due to their extreme differences and challenges they face, but even throughout these trying times and feelings of overwhelm, there is a love like no other. For example, 13-year-old Jack has such a severe form of autism that he is not able to speak. To communicate, he uses a special keyboard to indicate the letters which then reads the sentences aloud for him, much like how the late Stephen Hawking was able to articulate his thoughts. While it may seem like a burden to endure the process of stringing together letter by letter, his parents recount their disbelief and overwhelming joy when a speech therapist first exposed Jack to this new form of communication and he was able to "talk" to his parents for the first time in his entire life.

Far From the Tree doesn't just focus on families of children with disabilities. We also hear the intimate stories from a couple with dwarfism and a mother and father whose son committed murder. How these children turned out to be so much different from their biological parents is something that has always fascinated Solomon, who is a self-proclaimed "weirdo." He was at odds with his parents for most of his life when he came out as gay, and eventually wrote the book as a sort of an investigative catharsis to understand how and why parents and their children can be so different from each other.

On some level, we are all imperfect. That is what makes us human. The biggest takeaway from Far From the Tree is to not discredit people due to visual differences because they might just surprise you. Original music by Nico Muhly and Yo La Tengo add to the film's emotional undercurrent and offers a sense of optimism for those undergoing difficult times. Far From the Tree should be required viewing for all, but be warned, side effects include a lump in the throat, goosebumps, and occasional teary eyes.

'Far From the Tree' is not rated. 93 minutes. Opening today at Laemmle's Royal Theatre.


Hot Summer Nights

After starring in two of last year's most poignant coming of age films, Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird, the young auteur takes on another emotionally demanding role in the independent drama, Hot Summer Nights. Set in the summer of 1991, writer/director Elijah Bynum's debut film is a confident and exciting new voice in the indie film genre. The original screenplay, which ended up on the Blacklist, coupled with fantastic performances from promising young talent makes Hot Summer Nights a rush of adrenaline we can't get enough of.

After graduating high school and with college on the horizon, the socially awkward and naive Daniel Middleton (Chalamet) is sent to spend the summer with his aunt in Cape Cod. He immediately has trouble finding his place as the "townies" treat him as an outsider and he cannot afford the luxury "summer birds" lifestyle. His isolation is interrupted when he meets alpha-male Hunter Strawberry (Alex Roe), the local drug dealer and infamous bad boy. The two strike up an unconventional relationship– Hunter introduces an asthmatic Daniel to smoking weed and, in turn, Daniel presents an opportunity for the two of them to go into business selling the product to an even larger audience, with an even bigger monetary gain. On paper, it looked like everything would work out according to plan.

What wasn't accounted for, however, was Daniel's growing romantic relationship with McKayla (Maika Monroe) who, unbeknownst to him, is Hunter's younger sister. Fearing that if either of the Strawberry siblings knew about his relationship with the other they would drop him, Daniel keeps up the facade of anonymity. For a while, he reaps the benefits of his double life by dating the most beautiful girl in town while having so much disposable income he doesn't know what to do with it all. But of course, all good things must come to an end and everything comes to a head when a large job opportunity to push cocaine comes his way and Daniel's secret relationship with both siblings is exposed, and not on his terms.

If 'Hot Summer Nights' is remembered for one thing, in addition to another earnest performance from everybody's favorite shining star Timothée Chalamet, let it be for the film's playlist.

Hot Summer Nights has a familiar feel to it while still ringing original. It seems as if director Elijah Bynum, who was 23 years old when he wrote the script, found influence in the aesthetic of Drive and the soundtrack of Baby Driver as Hot Summer Nights feels reminiscent of these high stakes films. His specific cinematic vision incorporates neon accents and saturated visuals. The soundtrack, which includes David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' and Mott The Hoople's 'All The Young Dudes', weave in and out seamlessly and contribute to some of the film's most standout scenes. If Hot Summer Nights is remembered for one thing, in addition to another earnest performance from everybody's favorite shining star Timothée Chalamet, let it be for the film's playlist.

Hot Summer Nights found its home with distributors A24, who seem to have nineties nostalgia lately (or so it seems from this release and it's highly anticipated, Jonah Hill-directed Mid90s). Incredible truth and honesty are at the heart of this coming of age film, and those looking for an emotionally-charged and vibrant story about the complexities of youth and love should look no further than Hot Summer Nights.

'Hot Summer Nights' is 107 minutes. Rated R for drug content and language throughout, sexual references, and some strong violence. Opening this Friday at the AMC Sunset 5 and on iTunes, VOD.

https://youtu.be/O5ROSS9ReUY