Welcome to the Dollhouse

It's impressive how Todd Solondz manages to create a movie that is simultaneously melancholy, disturbing and hilarious. These contrasts are accentuated by vibrant colors that stand out amid a dense atmosphere. The narrative is creative within the theme of adolescence, portraying completely dysfunctional families, where young people face lives full of emptiness and loneliness. They are always looking for something that will give them a sense of notoriety, often resorting to absurd, bizarre and cruel ways. The dynamics between the characters are excellent, with an absolute highlight being Heather Matarazzo's incredible performance, which drives the film with a striking expressiveness.

Really dark and uncomfortable, its sense of humour is so black that you find yourself laughing at the cruelest things. I also like how detailed this is as a character study about the emotional scars left by bullying, though I wish it hadn’t relied so much on 80s highschool movie tropes to achieve that, because a subtle indie drama should move beyond those same old stereotypes. Moreover, there’s a general lack of vision. Its use of score can occasionally be interesting, but the visuals and editing are both pretty bland and lacking in personality. The acting is also not quite up to par, especially from the more inexperienced cast members. I usually don’t like to pick on younger actors, but this movie isn’t even close to hitting the Spielberg bar. Overall, it’s one of those movies that’s almost entirely carried by the writing, because it’s not that hard to spot the obvious flaws. 6/10