Review of Submarine (2011) by Darine S — 25 Apr 2015

This is an odd, enjoyable little debut film from Richard Ayoade, who is best known for playing one of the leads on the British sitcom The IT Crowd. As it turns out, Ayoade is quite a capable writer and director, which you wouldn't necessarily guess based on his goofy acting persona.

This film tells the story of a teenager (Craig Roberts) who is simultaneously trying to manage his own relationship with an odd, moody girl and to prevent his mother (Sally Hawkins) from cheating on his father (Noah Taylor).

In some ways, the teenage angst subject matter is familiar from plenty of other films; but Ayoade puts enough of a quirky, stylized spin on things to make the film stand out. There's definitely some Wes Anderson influence here - Ayoade seems to share Anderson's affection for muted affect and close-up shots of particular objects - but it doesn't overwhelm the film.

Ayoade's characterizations are believable, but just off-kilter enough to remain consistently fun. It's not the greatest teen movie ever, but it's definitely good enough to establish Ayoade as a filmmaker worth keeping track of.