SLC Punk

I watched this at a very interesting chapter of my life. I was recommended this movie about a year ago. Never got around to it until now. And I honestly see why it was recommended to me. I’ve never quite had a movie speak to me on such a deep and personal level. Sure, a lot of the film is portrayed through exaggerated caricatures. The dialogue and events that play out are very over-the-top at times. But weaved within these comical scenarios and people is deep, insightful commentary on society, self-growth and discovery, and culture. I could relate to most of, if not the entire movie. I grew up as a dork in middle school playing Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and a plethora of video games. I then grew into an angsty teenager, listening to grunge, metal, and punk rock. I became sucked into the alternative culture, going out of my way to earn money to then spend on overpriced clothes. To fit into this label of hating the world, essentially. When in reality, I just hated myself. And governments. And churches. I then threw myself into the party culture, escaping the pains of reality by numbing myself with whatever substance I could get my hands on as a stupid child. Because all the “cool kids” were doing it. Those kids were my friends. Some of them went off to college and live great lives. Others dropped out and I haven’t heard from them sense. Some of them are in jail. Some of them are dead. When that reality hit, I became a lot more cautious of the future I was building for myself. In college, I became a Frankenstein of fitting in and sticking out at the same time. I threw myself into the music scene and had a lot of bloody noses from mosh pits. I had a lot of nights that I couldn’t remember. I was going to parties and had a lot of crazy experiences that were peak sex, drugs, and rock & roll. But life forced my hand into abiding by the system I formerly rebelled. I still have that angsty mindset, and I’m critical of the world around me. But I became a part of the system so I didn’t spiral further down the self-destructive pipeline of rebellion. Thing is, a lot of my life experiences describe a lot of events that play out in this movie. Hence the spoiler. It strikes a lot of chords and triggers a lot of memories for me. I still am a punk at heart. I’m in a transitional period of my life approaching graduation in college. Exiting the world of parties and recklessness into a new, more sterile, yet stable world. The film overall is great, but I give it 5 stars for how much I relate to it. Matthew Lillard is a favorite actor of mine, so for him to be the lead is another plus. He really does a great job in this film with a lot of emotional range. The plot is well-structured. It does jump around a bit, so you need to be paying attention. But I like the way it’s directed overall. Plus the soundtrack kicks ass. A fantastic movie that I will cherish in the coming years. Wish I watched it sooner, though it might not have impacted me as much. Needed to learn some life lessons on my own.