Big Time Adolescence
2020 · Directed by Jason Orley
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Mo attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of his best friend Zeke, an unmotivated-yet-charismatic college dropout. Although Zeke genuinely cares about Mo, things start to go awry as he teaches Mo nontraditional life lessons in drug dealing, partying, and dating. Meanwhile, Mo’s well-meaning dad tries to step in and take back the reins of his son’s upbringing.
What it’s like
Warm suburban daylight and sun-faded interiors, with cluttered basements, backyard barbecues and fluorescent-lit suburban strip malls, give this film a lived-in, easygoing look. Camera work stays loose and unhurried, mostly medium shots and conversational two-shots that let awkward pauses breathe, and the soundtrack leans on mellow indie guitar and the hum of ordinary afternoons rather than big comedic stingers. Its vibe is good-natured slacker melancholy with a sweet undertow: a lazy summer afternoon that slowly tilts toward regret. The pace is loose and episodic, with scenes that wander before tightening into emotional beats. Crude humour, teenage drug dealing, party scenes, drinking and sexual talk recur throughout, but the violence is minimal and the tone stays more wistful than cruel. The emotional arc follows a sheltered teenager pulled into bad habits by an older friend, while his father scrambles to reclaim the relationship, eventually landing on a tender, hard-won understanding between them. It suits viewers who enjoy coming-of-age comedies with a bittersweet, character-first heart, and fans of slacker films like Dazed and Confused or Superbad who want something softer.
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