Review of Wasted on the Young (2010) by Tilldog T — 12 Mar 2011

Many of you probably wouldn't have heard of this one, which is a shame, because this promising and exciting debut by Ben C. Lucas is really worth seeing, and will have you discussing its social comment for a while after you've watched it.

Set in prestigious high school in upper class Perth (which happens to be my hometown), the story of Wasted on the Young follows a group of high school students, including shy and studious Darren (Oliver Ackland) and his polar opposite step-brother Zack (Alex Russell). Everything is good between the two, until Zack decides to hold a house party, and young Xandrie (Adelaide Clemens) comes into their lives, making the two into enemies, where things start to turn ugly.

The film is undeniably a comment on a drug and party fueled teenage society, and all teenagers should really see the film as an eye-opener to drugs. What's most impressive, is that the social commentary rarely becomes overpowering as if to distract you away from the film itself. The film presents a world where teenagers live without rules (perhaps the reason why there is not a single adult throughout the whole film) and where those who are powerful are the ones who succeed. This makes the film all the more relevant to the current state of society.

The performances from the cast of unknowns are solid, particularly the two lead performances. Ackland proves himself to be a star to watch in the near future, and Clemens is reminiscent of Michelle Williams. The support aren't nearly as memorable, but they are solid enough. From the get-go, Lucas proves that he is a very promising and ambitious director, and while this debut isn't astonishing, it is still excellent for a feature film debut. Lucas keeps the whole film gripping and thrilling, and makes the themes presented smoothly intertwined into the film (almost).

The biggest success of Wasted on the Young, is the cinematography and sound. The whole film is breathtakingly stunning, particularly the awe-inspiring swimming shots. The soundtrack is also fantastic, really giving the film a nice edge and verve.

Of course, the film is not without its flaws. The script is quite incoherent at times, and perhaps a little too pretentious for its own good. After the excellent first and second act, the third act gets a bit silly and implausible, which is a shame. Also adding to the implausibility of the third act, is the fact that there are no adults in the film. I can understand the motive behind this decision, but I honestly believe that it could have been executed better, or perhaps even left out, in order to make Wasted more believable.

What is believable, though, is that Wasted on the Young is an excellent debut by one of Australia's more promising new directors. It's an ambitious project pulled off very deftly, and will have you talking.