Super Dark Times

If there's another 2017 film that starts off really well and continues greatness until it loses all its momentum and potential and becomes a mess in its third act, then I haven't seen it. This film is an intriguing but realistic psychological drama/thriller for its first two acts and then decides to become a genre film instead. By doing so, it loses everything that made it interesting. Maybe in retrospect and on a possible rewatch I will think the third act is fine for what it is, but it's such a shame the turn the film makes. Still, it remains a worthy effort overall, with some fine performances from its cast and some effective imagery.

This film gets points mostly for the execution of a familiar plot. Throughout the runtime all I could think about was how familiar the story is to other Teens gone bad films - especially MEAN CREEK, which I think is superior when it comes to heart. That being said, I don't think the objective of this film was to pull at your heartstrings the way that Mean Creek intended, but that's where the downfall lies in my opinion. The first act was nostalgic, hilarious, and I was really getting into the characters, then it devolved from there, delving into basic Slasher-Thriller territory. Still worth seeing though and it definitely has its moody moments and shots. The production and sound are fantastic, but I'm big on the story and to me it falls flat after the first act.

-Also, I'm not sure if I missed something, but what the hell was up with the intro with the deer? I mean it could be seen as foreshadowing I guess, but that scene could've been cut out if you ask me.

A brilliant directorial debut by Kevin Philips. From the opening shot itself, the super dark mood is created in this film set in the mid-90s. A lot is communicated using visuals and incidents that aren't directly related to the main plot which solidifies the atmosphere of the film. Owen Campbell lives and breathes as Zach, even his inhaling and exhaling was so perfect for the character at each particular moment. But the third act was not a well-written part of the film where the characters act upon motivations that feel rushed without proper transition and ends up like a lot of other films.

Then Super Dark Times might have been it. Overall I enjoyed this film and I do recommend it. The performances of the young actors are well done;I especially enjoyed the performance of Amy Hargreaves (the attractive mother) who plays the mom as someone who is unaware of the exact situation her son has gotten himself into, but she is NOT your stereotypical naive and clueless parent that is so often portrayed in such films.

That said, the film is not without its faults. The opening scene which the director NEVER returns to makes absolutely NO SENSE in the context of this movie. Additionally, having been a high school geek myself (although that was back in the late 70s and early 80s), I find it odd that the cute girl (played by Elizabeth Cappuccino) would even have the slightest romantic interest in the nice guy geek Zach played by Owen Campbell; sorry but those of us who fall into the "late bloomer" category know that growing up, the most we could hope for from the cute girls was to end up in the friend zone and foolishly hope that one day she would wake up and realize that the nice guy is the guy for her (BALONEY!) That subplot reeked of a writer's fantasy to me.

One particular standout was Sawyer Barth as the eighth grade boy from another school who accidentally gets caught up in the violence. I must say, this young fellow gave a very underrated by convincing performance in a supporting role.

Finally, a few points about how the ending unfolds as it does left me somewhat confused. I could not understand why one particular character behaved a certain way, nor did I understand why someone else did NOT do something that should have been fairly obvious. That's all I want to say since I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I give it a recommendation if you like dark coming of age stories.

It's always impressive to see a young actor really shine, and the two best friends this movie centers around certainly deliver in their performances. Unfortunately, the ending leaves me wanting...more? Not necessarily, I don't have a problem with open ended stories, but the ending scene being about a character I didn't really connect with or care for was an odd choice. Maybe on a re-watch I'll catch some nuance that steers me in the direction of revelation with the ending scene...but is it really worth watching again? It certainly does capture the precell phone nineties teen vibes well, and there's a the surreal feeling of a town where we never see anyone else except the teens. It certainly speaks for the tunnel vision you have at the age.

I wish the set dressers would decorate my house for Christmas.

Worth watching overall.