A generic label here could be More Than Zero. Bored and reasonably well-off Californian teens hang out – but they’re intended to be sympathetic in a way that Bret Easton Ellis characters aren’t. The film is directed by Gia Coppola, granddaughter of Francis Ford, and it’s based on a short story collection by James Franco, who appears in the movie. One of the stars is Jack Kilmer, son of Val, who also has a cameo.
All of this is potentially irritating to say the least, and yet, despite the junior star entitlement and teen-angst cliches, the film is unexpectedly engaging. Emma Roberts plays the introverted April, whose mother happens to be another of modern cinema’s dodgy vapers; her e-cigarette symbolises a spiritual void. April’s naivety and vulnerability are exploited by the creepy soccer coach, Mr B (Franco). The guy April should really be with is Teddy (Kilmer), a sweet guy and talented artist, who has a crush on her but is himself being exploited by an aggressively insecure stoner (Nat Wolff), who wants to drag Teddy down with him into a mess of petty crime. Jack Kilmer is very good, with an open, attractive screen presence. He carries the film with unaffected charm.
