Beyond Clueless
Courtesy of Charlie Lyne
Baby director Charlie Lyne is a mere twenty-four years young, but the guy has already found his footing in the world of film. A constant contributor to faire such as Buzzfeed, Vice, and The Guardian, Lyne understands the complexities and nuances of modern filmmaking as well as the nostalgia that we millennials crave. In his first full-length film Lyne tackles the teen genre of filmmaking, ranging from comedy, to horror, to drama, looking to the undercurrent that threads together all these films for the core teen audience.
The film feels like a moody thesis project throughout, as Lyne melds together different themes in separate sections. Each section deals with an emotional cue set up by a particular film's plot, including sexual awakening, coming into your own (popularity), and assimilation. Lyne has Fairuza Balk ("The Craft") narrate the documentary while showing clips from various films, including "Cruel Intentions," "Jawbreaker," "Ginger Snaps," and "EuroTrip." Between these case studies Lyne weaves together montages from many other films, along with original music from the band Summer Camp. The points that Lyne explores make for an interesting thesis on the role of teen films in our society. He points to homoeroticism in "EuroTrip," the maturation of teenagers through menses in "Ginger Snaps," and the role of assimilation into high school's clique system in "She's All That."
While not every point is completely fleshed out throughout the film, each case study serves the overall thread of the film, which is to show that teen films exist because of a societal need. Teenagers are the most disregarded, misunderstood group in our society. They themselves can't fully explain, or understand the range of emotions that they go through. Teen films, though not always artistically beloved serve the purpose of exposing the base instincts and emotional needs of this group. Whether you care about popularity, revenge fantasies, cultural acceptance, or just understanding the inner demons that devour you, there exists a teen film to satisfy those wants. Lyne has not only understood the mechanics of these films, but the needs of the audience who watch them.
