Insignificant

So, this series has now been edited into an 88minute movie which is available to watch on Prime.

I don't know what was worst, the acting, the writing, the directing.... Nope, it was definitely the empty coffee cups during the scene with the parents about 17 minutes in.

The whole movie is just characters reciting exposition... it feels like a book that hasn't been adapted into a screenplay properly.

The lines are so woodenly delivered by the cast... this could be a writing or direction issue, but whatever it is, it just makes the show unwatchable.

I only watched it because of the 88minute runtime. But I couldn't even make it all though that.

88 minutes? Seriously? It felt like 8 hours.

I watched the series edited into a feature length film. Maybe ten, 8-minute shorts might have been better? I dunno, because the whole thing was needlessly slow as it was.

Worthwhile subject matter that has been more skillfully handled in countless other movies. The Major Trauma Event is inferred, so it does have the gravitas that might explain the grinding, slow burn that follows. Not really a burn at all, more like a forgotten ember that eventually dies out.

I see potential here to be sure, but the direction is jarringly amateurish - more like a first-year film school student's final exam project. The professor's notes would likely include: speed up the pace; use better establishing shots; use fewer close-ups, tighten up the writing; direct the cast better. The absence of emotion when delivering lines plagues every character.

Tldr: Skip it.

Ok this is my honest review the show was horrible at some point and weird audio and camera glitches that were in the show but it was ok.

The best part about this show is that I can relate to this in so many different ways and it's crazy.... Especially the last episode (p.s please watch this show fully to see what I'm talking about.) Also in episode 7 was my favorite with the bench sence.

PLEASE MAKE A SEASON 2 And if nobody watches it just know I will cause this was to interesting to watch.. y'all please watch this show I'm telling you now it's worth it if you watch it. Also if you watch this movie it's not really a LGBT movie except for like the few episodes... Fyi🍿🎥🍿🎥🍿🎥🍿🎥🍿🎥

I found this series on Tubi, where it is edited into film format, so I am not sure if anything has been altered in the process, but here is my take on what I saw...

The designers did a great job of reviving the true 90's aesthetic and vibe, but didn't stoop to overdoing it for the sake of nostalgia-gone-fantasy (I'm pretty sure I owned most of the main character's wardrobe and accessories at various points, and the set details were perfect).

The most critical thing I could say is that there were some editing issues - especially continuity between shots and some lighting issues.

Also, the acting from one of the cast members was a bit distracting but, as a whole, the cast was believable and engaging.

Some of the dialogue was a bit on the after school special side, but that was overcome by most of the cast who kept it authentic and made it sound honest.

The story was interesting and had some tantalizing mysteries which were slowly revealed as the film went along.

The issues faced by the characters, as well as the way people of various ages and backgrounds react to them was believable and realistic and, several times, I found myself reacting to their struggles as I would to a friend or relative.

This is a character study, and it does a great job of remembering to give all of the important characters time to reveal some personal details which make them more than just another person to recite dialogue.

Anyone rating this below a 7 is clearly going in expecting something that this wasn't. This isn't a multi-million dollar Netflix production based on a chart-topping, best selling novel. It is an independent work of love. Overall, I'm not holding the minor issues against the production, in view of what was clearly a limited budget. I have seen FAR worse from big budget productions. It more than kept me in my seat for the duration - it actually left me craving more (in the best kind of way, as evidenced by me posting a rare review and putting real time into it).

I want to see where things go for these characters and to see some more of the mysteries unraveled. I truly hope we get more of this, and soon!