Rooted in 90s alternative culture, Doug Liman’s second directorial effort merges the 90s teen comedy genre with the hyperlink story structure and crime sensibilities of movies like _Reservoir Dogs_ and _Pulp Fiction_. I’m really happy to have found it, because it scratches a different itch than a lot of other movies like it. Most of my favourite teen movies have those typical Wes Anderson/twee sensibilities (_Rushmore, Submarine_). This is a lot edgier, but it doesn’t take the dumb, lowbrow route of the more popular teen comedies from around that time either. Everything about this stands head and shoulders above stuff like _American Pie_ or _10 Things I hate about you_. The acting is fantastic, the writing is intriguing, and most importantly you won’t cringe at anything once you’ve outgrown the target demographic. Honestly, it’s a criminally overlooked film that includes great characters, unpredictable story beats and a killer soundtrack. Sure, it can’t quite compete with Tarantino’s best work, which is mostly because the dialogue and comedy aren’t quite as sharp. However, the cinematography and asymmetrical editing continuously make interesting choices, capturing the feeling of a 90s rave culture perfectly (even the Dutch angles work in the context of this film).

8/10