Licorice Pizza
2021 · Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
- romance
The story
The story of Gary Valentine and Alana Kane growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-faded 1970s California, shot with a loose, roving camera that drifts through crowded school hallways, dusty car interiors and bright suburban storefronts, often in long unbroken takes that let the chaos of people talking over each other breathe. The palette leans on golden afternoon light, washed-out oranges and avocado greens, and the period detail (waterbeds, pinball, pastel shirts, wide-collared everything) carries much of the texture. The score is pure era nostalgia, with soft rock and funk cues that feel like an AM radio left on in the next room. The vibe is nostalgic, lightly bittersweet and funny, with a sense of restless daydreaming: the kind of film for a lazy weekend afternoon or a comfort rewatch. Pacing is loose and episodic, more hangout than plot, and the emotional register stays playful even when things turn awkward or jealous. The central pairing is a teenage boy and a slightly older girl circling each other with stubborn, clumsy hope, and their arcs move from brash confidence toward tender uncertainty. Intensity is low: some profanity, smoking, sexual innuendo, and a few tense moments of humiliation, but no real violence and nothing graphic. It suits viewers who want charming, character-driven romance with a retro hum and a sense of youthful, unguarded chaos.
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