Paper Towns
2015 · Directed by Jake Schreier
Original language: English
- mystery
- drama
- romance
The story
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge, he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Quentin arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Quentin soon learns that there are clues, and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Quentin gets, the less he sees of the girl he thought he knew.
What it’s like
Bright Florida suburbia in late spring: sun-bleached strip malls, cul-de-sac lawns, and the flat glare of afternoon heat give way to dusky, humid nights lit by sodium streetlamps and the cold blue of phone screens. The camera stays fairly close and conventional, with plenty of warm, saturated daylight and easy handheld moments during the all-nighter sequences that feel loose and wandering. The score is light and guitar-led, with soft indie pop cues that move the story along without pressing too hard. The vibe is wistful, nostalgic and a little bittersweet, the kind of teen mood that suits a lazy weekend afternoon or a late-night watch with the lights low. Pacing is brisk and cheerful at first, slowing into reflective road-trip stretches. Its emotional register is gentle and earnest, following a shy, bookish teenager who learns to see his friends and the people around him more honestly. Violence is minimal, with a few mild scuffles and no gore, though there is some teen drinking, mild sexual talk and a brief moment of peril. It suits viewers who enjoy coming-of-age stories, road-trip friendships and light mystery.
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