Wasted on the Young (Australian Teen Revenge Drama)

[MikeScott]

Wasted On The Young - OFFICIAL TRAILER HD (2010) - YouTube

The film transcends the trappings of a traditional teen parable. It becomes something closer to Rian Johnson's masterful Brick, in which a bunch of film noir archetypes were anachronistically transported into a high school, just for the hell of it.
- Simon Miraudo, Quickflix

Wasted on the Young is a slick and striking film that presents a disturbingly recognisable world of plutocratic rule in the dark heart of Australian society.
- Thomas Caldwell, Cinema Autopsy

Stylistically striking and featuring a clutch of stunning performances from emerging local talent, this is a remarkable achievement sure to generate discussion.
- Annette Basile, FILMINK (Australia)

Without question one of the most striking Australian films of the past five years, director Lucas stamps his visual style on a very contemporary - and at times very confronting - teen revenge story.
- Simon Weaving, Screenwize

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wast...he_young_2010/

-----------------------------

This Australian teen revenge drama came out of nowhere for me. I really like Adelaide Clemens (Silent Hill: Revelation) and Alex Russell (Chronicle) so I decided to give this a watch on Netflix Instant. With relatively no expectations I have to admit I was kind of blown away. The story itself isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's told in such a stylish way, with amazing cinematography, editing, and featuring a couple of great performances. It's even more impressive as this is the first feature film for filmmaker Ben C. Lucas.

I thought the ending could have been better but it wasn't enough to hinder my enjoyment of this visually striking film. Oliver Ackland and Adelaide Clemens (I will never get over her uncanny resemblance to Michelle Williams) are both great in this, and Alex Russell's character is so despicable that I'm going to have a difficult time thinking of him differently in future projects. This is a gem.


9/10 (A-)

Bought this on DVD right after watching it (unfortunately it's not available on Blu-ray in the US).