User reviews

I saw an unfinished cut of this movie and in general I like the concept. The foul language was something that they could have used less. I felt the characters could show their emotions more through actions than their words. Although, at times, maybe the foul language was appropriate. The four main characters of this movie are people that everyone has met at one point in their lives and could relate to completely. Whether you like these characters or not, there is a time that you do feel for them as human beings. There are a couple of scenes that are disturbing and may not be something everyone could watch but the scenes are truly powerful. I'm interested to see the finished product. In general, this movie has potential to be really good.

Four troubled teens, with nothing to do in their empty lives and no one to turn to for guidance, are tormented by all facets of society.

The film explores a wide variety of situations in high school life, far more than the "school bullying" theme it claims to be about. In fact, the school bullying issue is relatively minor, with the impact of parents playing a bigger role. There is also the drug angle, the idea of conformity, and the legitimacy of school authority. As an outcast myself in high school, I knew that high school authority was not a role model. Despite getting excellent grades, I was not looked highly upon by the administration and was repeatedly suspended and ultimately expelled. Had "troubled" kids done what I had done, they would have been excused.

While seemingly simple on the surface, I think there is much that can be discussed here. The idea of "blackness" being about culture rather than color I think was an interesting topic. One of the main characters is black, but prefers Willie Nelson over rap. What does it mean to be black? Is Snoop Dogg more black than Denzel Washington? Is President Obama black, despite being raised by a white mother? Willie Nelson was also called out as having lyrics of substance, pushing the idea that anything is possible, and how he was able to express in song what it feels like to go crazy. Whether the Nelson references were meant seriously or jokingly by the creators, I am not sure. But I have to suspect seriously. And while I am not a huge Willie fan, one has to admire his lasting influence on music as a whole. Too few people are aware that some of Elvis Presley's best hits were Willie Nelson songs first. Willie was rock before there was rock.

The casting was perfect in every way, but especially for Will's dad. He plays the part in a very believable way, and his anger towards his son did not seem like an act but real passionate hatred. The acting gets better in the second half, too, when everything gets dark. I have to give a lot of credit to any actors who are willing to take part in an anal rape scene or a situation involving forced incest. Also, credit to the writers and director for making these things seem real and not comedic.

The inclusion of the Bill O'Reilly photo confused me, because it added a political element that I think was not necessary. This was not a film about liberals or conservatives, it was more about power and oppression. A principal's authority over students is not guided by his political ideology, and likewise the homophobic, racist tendencies of rednecks need not be seen as a conservative view (though that tends to be the stereotype).

I would recommend this film. It may be less than perfect due to a low budget, but this was the sort of production where the people in charge knew their limitations and stayed in a safe framework. I could have used fewer F-bombs (the Cory character sets a new record in this film), but that is just me. I would love to see this film remade with a bigger budget and get a better distribution (with all due respect to the guys at Breaking Glass, who are amazing). But, until then, check it out.

I had the privilege of checking out this movie at the Beverly Hills Film & TV Festival and was pleasantly surprised by how good this low budget Indy was. Being in LA a lot, I get a chance to go to a fair amount of "unknown cinema" and many times I am let down by filmmakers trying to much. "Mad World" was the exact opposite. The film has a very strong message about teen bullying and school shootings yet it somehow managed to be artistic and like a really good after school special all at the same time. I don't want to spoil it, but this film does have some very dark and had to watch scenes, so if you can't take that sort of stuff, stay away, but if you can step back from the horror, I really feel like you find beauty in the very un-beautiful world the filmmakers set up. I laughed at the beginning, though I must admit I thought the flick would be campy, and cried at the end. After the Q & A, I knew that the beginning was there, to make the end feel worse and I loved that and this film. When or if it comes out, A MUST SEE.

I must give respect to the team for trying something new. I know the film was shot on mini DV, they had commitment issues, and it was very very low budget. The story followed the lives of high school teens who were victims of regular bullying, and the film tried to be true to life. It feels as though a decision was made to throw as much profanity in the film as possible in order to be controversial, but it was just too much for me. Fortunately, Gary Cairns' performance managed to steal my attention away from the vulgarities. He perfectly captured the teen angst of high school students across the country. I look forward to seeing more of his work.

This is a great film about the difficulties of growing up in a destructive and insensitive society; in other words, it revives all of those old teenage ideas and feelings from your past... I find it absolutely refreshing. As for the "foul language," sometimes you have to see a film twice to realize and understand its dark humor and clever hidden commentaries on society... like many Tarantino films, actually. If the film seems absurd at times... maybe it is actually SUPPOSED to be. In any case, it is a surprisingly insightful film, with surprisingly fantastic performances. I highly recommend it! And a great debut film from a director and writer I hope to see more from in the future...

This movie is one that shows life of teenagers growing up in a troubled society. This movie follows these troubled kids through their teenage years. A truthful representation of what some people go through due to many different reasons or circumstances. The performances by the actors were real and spot on with those times. I would recommend this movie.