Review of Empire Records (1995) by Karen M — 19 Nov 2014

Empire Records is the 90's version of the Breakfast Club: it's a movie largely devoted to the lives of young people over the course of a single day in a single location. Like The Breakfast Club, the story is loose and a main narrative thread is mostly sacrificed for showcasing the hopes and fears of the young employees.

I first saw this movie when I was twenty and, although I've never worked in a record shop, the movie feels strangely truthful. By the end of the film the record store comes to embody not just a place where the characters work but somewhat of a character in its own right: sheltering the characters from adulthood for just a bit longer.

It's a fun movie and I highly recommend it.