Review of The Doom Generation (1995) by Susanna K — 02 Dec 2008

This movie has a consistent and unique tone, which is why I wasn't surprised this was an Araki film. Araki is fantastic with tone, and in this film, he creates an alternate electro junkie 90s fever-dream where the world is always on the edge of ending and everything is distorted into symbols and pop art to convey the indescribable desperation and fear the characters think rests naturally within their souls. The soundtrack is near constant, and is as much an important character as the three people this film focuses on. The story is an odd love triangle set in post modern crazy land, with the repeated incidents of sudden deadly violence and cases of unforgivable mistaken identity pushing the plot from one sex scene to another.

This film pulls into the world of these three characters so fully. Rose McGowan creates the paradigm of the annoying junkie girl from the 90s and it plays well off the sensitive stoner and daring bad boy cutouts of characters. Definitely a film for people who feel like thinking about what they are watching, as much of the detail is in symbolic 90s art creations and the main plot points reference not reality, but B movies. Watching this movie is like falling into an abyss of the 1990s and its complacent pessimism. The film just leaves one feeling unsettled and in this way perfectly captures its era and what its characters are feeling and conveys that to the audience.

Fantastic ending, a real blinder that works so well.

Cool cameos: Parker Posey and Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction.

"Most Fucked Up" highlight: head still talking, the conclusion.