Deltopia

Really loved this film. It was raw, relatable and very entertaining.

The dialogue can sometimes be vulgar and shocking but it does seem true to how teenagers spoke in 2014, so it only adds to the believability of the characters and the story.

All the actors give very impressive performances, my favorite stand outs being Luna Blaise (who plays Hannah) , Hart Denton (Who Plays Bones) and Will Peltz (who plays Slim). The characters are rich and interesting, which is a credit to the great writing.

The music, score and cinematography are all top notch. All in all it is a very impressive feature directorial debut by writer/directors Jaala Ruffman & Michael Easterling. Am eager to see what is next from them.

The movie presents a narrative that, while not revolutionary in its approach, manages to capture the viewer's interest with its central storyline. The concept of Deltopia is intriguing and is portrayed as a vibrant and energetic event, which adds a layer of excitement to the film. The main actors deliver competent performances, contributing to the film's overall appeal despite its shortcomings.

However, the technical aspects of the film, particularly the sound design, leave much to be desired. The audio mixing seems uneven, with the background ambiance almost entirely absent in several scenes. This lack of ambient sound creates an unrealistic and jarring experience, as viewers are accustomed to a certain level of environmental noise in films that adds to the realism. The moments of complete silence, except for the dialogue, detract from the immersive experience typically expected from a movie.

Moreover, there are instances where the volume levels are inconsistent, particularly during dialogues where the sound abruptly drops, disrupting the flow of conversation. This issue points to a possible lack of thorough quality assurance in the post-production phase, which is critical in ensuring a seamless audio-visual experience.

I thought it was just going to be a party movie and it was anything but. It made fun of the college frat and sorority life and had great sense of non obvious dark humor in the writing. The characters all felt real and had depth, and the performances were impressive for this genre film. I like that parents didn't make an appearance in the movie, avoiding corny unneeded predictable scenes. It's about the teens, 24hrs, coming of age. The story felt raw, grounded and relatable. It was like watching parties and experiences I went through at that age. It had strong style and tone and is a great calling card for the first time directors.

It seemed like an ok showing of what a 'dazed and confused' looks like for aimless modern day teenage angsters looking to find their way. Not in the same league as dazed, fast times, the wildlife or graffiti, but fairly entertaining for the most part. Still holding on to the police-are-bad concept, it stumbless through what poor, but rich modern teens have to deal with in order to get their inspiration in life- between social media, inciting activist violence, and the next drug infested party. There are quite a few films like this out there, and none of them are awe-inspiring or glamorous. It does however, lend credence to where all the hunched-over zombies walking around the big cities come from; they must have struck out getting followers. I prefer the muscle car era for these types of films, personally. Less dreary, more fun.

Overall, this an incredibly enjoyable and well executed coming of age film. A far superior high school film than most, this story felt so real as it was based on true events and the filmmaking felt almost like a documentary in the way it was filmed. The editing DELIVERS and connects with the audience giving us time to recover from all the highs and lows. The score is amazing and the music keeps the pacing of the story pumping. I would absolutely recommend this movie. I think Luna Blaise, Madison Pettis, Hart Denton and Charlie Gillespie all have promising careers aead of them and I can't wait to see what comes next from all of them, including the directors/producers.