A sullen teenager discovers an entrancing television show that speaks to him in ways he's never envisioned when he meets and develops an eccentric friendship with an older girl in his school. While this film turns out to be something a bit more than an archetypal coming-of-age fare, it's quite comfortable staying in that genre most of the time. It never really scratches the surface of horror, despite suggesting the vibe at times. You might not know what to make of this when all it's said and done and I readily confess that I still do not. In the end you either run with the film's committed strangeness or you don't. If you're expecting a straightforward conclusion, this most likely is not for you.
Philosophically, this film is right up my alley, notwithstanding my reservations about the protagonist, who at times seems pitiable. The theme of holding onto adolescent fixations through the years even as they become antiquated and caricature-like is something that strikes near and dear to me. How well it's conveyed here is a matter of debate. The film's whimsical vibe sometimes queers the pitch of this rich concept that's at work. But in the end, it's a good quirky indie that never tries to be something it's not. For those who understand this notion, this film is happily recommended.
Philosophically, this film is right up my alley, notwithstanding my reservations about the protagonist, who at times seems pitiable. The theme of holding onto adolescent fixations through the years even as they become antiquated and caricature-like is something that strikes near and dear to me. How well it's conveyed here is a matter of debate. The film's whimsical vibe sometimes queers the pitch of this rich concept that's at work. But in the end, it's a good quirky indie that never tries to be something it's not. For those who understand this notion, this film is happily recommended.