Lars the Emo Kid (2014)
"Lars the Emo Kid" follows the story of Lars R. Hyde, a young man dealing with a series of crippling situations outside of his control. His best friend has just committed suicide, his Mom and Dad are separated and hate oneanother and the local bully has set sights on him. Lonely and feeling empty and lost, Lars meets a local group of emos to identify with, immediately becoming friends with their leader Leonard. Has Lars finally found his place in life, or just more drama to add to an already overfilled plate?
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
Admirable film.
A Disappointing Continuation
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Looks great and some of the acting is actually pretty OK, but where's the effing story? Nothing happens, nothing to engage you, no dramatic questions are raised. And in no Universe could this film ever be described as a comedy. Give this one a wide berth.
Director Joe Grisaffi screened this film at our university and it completely exceeded my expectations! The script is beautifully written by Gilmore, who also gives a lovable performance as Lars with the help of a charismatic and varied supporting cast. Grisaffi is a wonderful director who isn't afraid to take risks with style or content. It's a very funny film but also very poignant story about depression, adulthood and friendship. It never gets too dark, neither does it get too corny. Grisaffi himself is a very friendly guy who is extremely passionate about what he does, so it was awesome to get to meet him! As a film lover, I totally recommend this movie.
This movie does a great job exploring depression and related issues that teens (or really anyone) face, without being too "dark" or "heavy." It was the perfect movie to lift my spirits on a rainy, gloomy day. The characters are quirky and funny, yet totally believable and relatable. There is one scene in particular, involving shopping carts (I won't say more so as not to spoil), that had me laughing out loud. Kudos to the writer/ lead actor, Paxton Gilmore. His portrayal of Lars really carried this film. Also to the director, Joe Grisaffi, who pulled everything together nicely. Overall, a great independent film! I highly recommend it!
Lars the Emo kid is an independent movie which manages to simultaneously entertain and deliver a serious message. Director, Joe Grisaffi, works his synergistic magic here pulling together great writing, genius casting and his own talent to create a cinematic experience that defies it's budget.The characters are believable without going over the top, but never take themselves too seriously. Lars the Emo Kid is underpinned by gentle wit with occasional laugh out loud moments when it all gets too ridiculous. Go see this movie, and make sure you take a troubled teen with you. Nicole Elliott, Paxton Gilmore and Sara Gaston are the stand-out talent in this feature.