The Doom Generation

One of Gregg Araki’s consistent themes is running from the external world with like minded individuals. And while The Living End is my personal favorite portrayal of this because it focuses more on the relationship between the two who are getting away and how they practically try to ignore everything else with the help of each others’ presence, The Doom Generation’s primary focus seems to be on the never-ending aggression non-compliant, punk, queer, youth face. The movie’s constant satirical portrayals of raw American violence are the heart of this film. While the main character’s violent acts feel campy- there is a sense of genuine fear when they are attacked by they characters which are the embodiment of American violence. The violence rooted in misogyny, obsession, and homophobia are abundantly real, so while it’s characterization in this film is done in a satirical way, there’s an underlying understanding that it is meant to be taken seriously. It is no longer fun, it is no longer camp, it is terrifying. Especially during Amy’s scene with that gang of Nationalistic sadists. Gregg Araki has perfected the art of creating a surreal world in which violence is a cathartic result of resentment towards the public juxtaposed with violence which is set in reality through hatred.