Review of Kaboom (2010) by Remy R — 04 Apr 2011

Ho-hum ... Kaboom is another Gregg Araki film that is colorful and bright, loud, drugged-out and slightly off-kilter. Araki continues his obsession with nice-looking young adults/teenagers even though he started this film obsession back in the 90's! This movie is a LOT like his other films (the exception being Mysterious Skin) as it is visually visceral and features a lot of sex.

It takes a sci-fi slant after its star (Thomas Dekker - My Sister's Keeper) eats a drug-laced cookie at a party and starts seeing visions he is unclear whether or not they are of actual events. The film is hazy and it is supposed to be as it parallels his mind.

Playing opposite him are his best friend played by Haley Bennett (Music & Lyrics) and British drama queen Juno Temple (Atonement, Cracks, Glorious 39) -- who is too good for this film. The film chronicles the sexually ambiguous Dekker as he fllirts with his new girlfriend (Temple) and fantacizes over his college roommate named Thor (Chris Zylka).

I didn't care whether or not any of these characters really cared about one another and the sci-fi element simply made a strange film that much more bogus. Bennett has a few scenes in which her dry line delivery was spot-on and Temple deserves better film roles; but the rest of the film is pretty-much line transcription/delivery.

Kaboom isn't mega-charged or anything ... it is a dud of flesh, tricks and neon-lights. Araki needs to age WITH his films instead remaining stuck in the past. He Ka-blew it ...