Dazed and Confused (1993)
School’s out for the summer!
Presentation:
If you wanted to relive the high school days in 1976, this would be the film to watch. The film is shot in a casual way allowing audiences to feel like they are part of the circle of friends. This is not a film with a story. It’s a reenactment of the last day of school to experience the feelings and conversations before summer. As a result nothing really happens (like a lot of Richard Linklater films) but it’s not supposed to. Instead it functions as a very nostalgic mood piece, accomplished by the use of 70s classic rock for the entire soundtrack.
Conclusion:
Depending on your personal high school experience, this could be one of your favorite films of all time bringing you down memory lane. There are many cliques we follow throughout the film and you should be able to relate to at least one of them. It’s mostly timeless in that high school still has drinking, partying, hazing. The topics on the 70s and the glory days are really satirical and nostalgic, but I found modern coming of age tales like Lady Bird, Boyhood or even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to be more relatable to my experiences. A time capsule of high school life in the 70s. Hopefully the charm alone is enough to entertain you, because that’s all this film has. And it’s incredibly depicted, but that doesn’t guarantee you won’t grow bored by some of the outdated banter.
Recommendations
Level 0 of the liminal basement.