Teenage Emotions
2021·Drama·1h 12m
7.1
★
A raw peak at the contemporary high school experience, entirely shot on iPhones. The film follows an intersecting cast and crew of volunteers that shows that what really goes on in high school takes place not in the classes, but in the halls.
Directed by Frédéric Da
high school
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Crew
Frédéric Da
Director
Frédéric Da
Writer
Frédéric Da
Editor
Frédéric Da
Producer
Roxane Mesquida
Producer
Popular Reviews
13 reviews
Gabriel Silva
6.8★ · 03/13/24
Film entirely on iPhones during student breaks, Teenage Emotions really does show how to make a film all you need is the camera. The film is mumblecore by necessity, not by aesthetic, and keeps things simple, keeping its young star actors in tight shots, up close, as much as possible. This simple choice, maintained by constraints of time and budget, mimics the claustrophobic social pressures of high school life. If someone told me this was a documentary before I saw it and without knowing anything about it prior, I would have believed them.
Film entirely on iPhones during student breaks, Teenage Emotions really does show how to make a film all you need is the camera. The film is mumblecore by necessity, not by aesthetic, and keeps things simple, keeping its young star actors in tight shots, up close, as much as possible. This simple choice, maintained by constraints of time and budget, mimics the claustrophobic social pressures of high school life. If someone told me this was a documentary before I saw it and without knowing anything about it prior, I would have believed them.
jarronwinPRO
8.0★ · 03/05/24
The "what if" type of melancholy hits a soft spot for me. I constantly think of what-if scenarios I make up in my head. The biggest what-if scenario for me (and I'd imagine many other Zoomers) is what if COVID-19 never happened?
For me, I was a junior in high school when COVID hit. Placing me amongst the teenagers that populate this movie's high school habitat. It's a vividly youthful ecosystem shown here. And its habitants photosynthesize off of the prospect of love and companionship. Where some characters blossom, others fail to bloom. It all culminates in this rose-tinted bouquet of life before COVID. A habitat I grew up in. I feel like I know these kids. The language in the dialogue feels so familiar. I am shocked at the realism of it all. So much so, that I get lost in it, and I digest the movie as a documentary. Like one of those "Last Day of High School" vlogs from the 90s. Except I have actually lived during this time, and I know how it'll end. Characters hint at the time of the setting by mentioning certain cultural artifacts. A kid is talking about Bad Boys For Life, placing these teenagers right before lockdown. It's a fleeting moment if not THE fleeting moment of their teenagehood before life changed.
This just makes the melodrama that much more impactful. The resolutions the characters receive feel muted. There is a moment when Jayden asks someone out to Prom, to which she rejects him. As the audience knows, however, is that Prom would have never come even if she said yes. I am effectively watching teenagers who in the end, won't get what they want. It's not that dramatic, and the movie is not trying to be, but it's certainly muted in this general sense of melancholy. I will call upon the "Meet Me in St. Louis" effect again to describe this specific feeling of mournful nostalgia. That's what struck me with this movie. It perfectly captures that Gen Z angst of missing out on high school. A melancholic combination of relief, yet FOMO for skipping such a "pivotal" time. This feels like the last normal high school movie.
Side note, but I have definitely smoked blunts with dudes like Josh in high school.
edit: i just watched Nashville and my god this movie is like the high school pre-COVID version of Nashville.
For me, I was a junior in high school when COVID hit. Placing me amongst the teenagers that populate this movie's high school habitat. It's a vividly youthful ecosystem shown here. And its habitants photosynthesize off of the prospect of love and companionship. Where some characters blossom, others fail to bloom. It all culminates in this rose-tinted bouquet of life before COVID. A habitat I grew up in. I feel like I know these kids. The language in the dialogue feels so familiar. I am shocked at the realism of it all. So much so, that I get lost in it, and I digest the movie as a documentary. Like one of those "Last Day of High School" vlogs from the 90s. Except I have actually lived during this time, and I know how it'll end. Characters hint at the time of the setting by mentioning certain cultural artifacts. A kid is talking about Bad Boys For Life, placing these teenagers right before lockdown. It's a fleeting moment if not THE fleeting moment of their teenagehood before life changed.
This just makes the melodrama that much more impactful. The resolutions the characters receive feel muted. There is a moment when Jayden asks someone out to Prom, to which she rejects him. As the audience knows, however, is that Prom would have never come even if she said yes. I am effectively watching teenagers who in the end, won't get what they want. It's not that dramatic, and the movie is not trying to be, but it's certainly muted in this general sense of melancholy. I will call upon the "Meet Me in St. Louis" effect again to describe this specific feeling of mournful nostalgia. That's what struck me with this movie. It perfectly captures that Gen Z angst of missing out on high school. A melancholic combination of relief, yet FOMO for skipping such a "pivotal" time. This feels like the last normal high school movie.
Side note, but I have definitely smoked blunts with dudes like Josh in high school.
edit: i just watched Nashville and my god this movie is like the high school pre-COVID version of Nashville.
The "what if" type of melancholy hits a soft spot for me. I constantly think of what-if scenarios I make up in my head. The biggest what-if scenario for me (and I'd imagine many other Zoomers) is what if COVID-19 never happened?
For me, I was a junior in high school when COVID hit. Placing me amongst the teenagers that populate this movie's high school habitat. It's a vividly youthful ecosystem shown here. And its habitants photosynthesize off of the prospect of love and companionship. Where some characters blossom, others fail to bloom. It all culminates in this rose-tinted bouquet of life before COVID. A habitat I grew up in. I feel like I know these kids. The language in the dialogue feels so familiar. I am shocked at the realism of it all. So much so, that I get lost in it, and I digest the movie as a documentary. Like one of those "Last Day of High School" vlogs from the 90s. Except I have actually lived during this time, and I know how it'll end. Characters hint at the time of the setting by mentioning certain cultural artifacts. A kid is talking about Bad Boys For Life, placing these teenagers right before lockdown. It's a fleeting moment if not THE fleeting moment of their teenagehood before life changed.
This just makes the melodrama that much more impactful. The resolutions the characters receive feel muted. There is a moment when Jayden asks someone out to Prom, to which she rejects him. As the audience knows, however, is that Prom would have never come even if she said yes. I am effectively watching teenagers who in the end, won't get what they want. It's not that dramatic, and the movie is not trying to be, but it's certainly muted in this general sense of melancholy. I will call upon the "Meet Me in St. Louis" effect again to describe this specific feeling of mournful nostalgia. That's what struck me with this movie. It perfectly captures that Gen Z angst of missing out on high school. A melancholic combination of relief, yet FOMO for skipping such a "pivotal" time. This feels like the last normal high school movie.
Side note, but I have definitely smoked blunts with dudes like Josh in high school.
edit: i just watched Nashville and my god this movie is like the high school pre-COVID version of Nashville.
For me, I was a junior in high school when COVID hit. Placing me amongst the teenagers that populate this movie's high school habitat. It's a vividly youthful ecosystem shown here. And its habitants photosynthesize off of the prospect of love and companionship. Where some characters blossom, others fail to bloom. It all culminates in this rose-tinted bouquet of life before COVID. A habitat I grew up in. I feel like I know these kids. The language in the dialogue feels so familiar. I am shocked at the realism of it all. So much so, that I get lost in it, and I digest the movie as a documentary. Like one of those "Last Day of High School" vlogs from the 90s. Except I have actually lived during this time, and I know how it'll end. Characters hint at the time of the setting by mentioning certain cultural artifacts. A kid is talking about Bad Boys For Life, placing these teenagers right before lockdown. It's a fleeting moment if not THE fleeting moment of their teenagehood before life changed.
This just makes the melodrama that much more impactful. The resolutions the characters receive feel muted. There is a moment when Jayden asks someone out to Prom, to which she rejects him. As the audience knows, however, is that Prom would have never come even if she said yes. I am effectively watching teenagers who in the end, won't get what they want. It's not that dramatic, and the movie is not trying to be, but it's certainly muted in this general sense of melancholy. I will call upon the "Meet Me in St. Louis" effect again to describe this specific feeling of mournful nostalgia. That's what struck me with this movie. It perfectly captures that Gen Z angst of missing out on high school. A melancholic combination of relief, yet FOMO for skipping such a "pivotal" time. This feels like the last normal high school movie.
Side note, but I have definitely smoked blunts with dudes like Josh in high school.
edit: i just watched Nashville and my god this movie is like the high school pre-COVID version of Nashville.
Greifff
6.3★ · 05/14/23
captivated by how real this feels, did I sound like that in high school??? certain scenes really stand out to me, weirdly involving the older brother younger brother relationship.
captivated by how real this feels, did I sound like that in high school??? certain scenes really stand out to me, weirdly involving the older brother younger brother relationship.
Isabella
8.0★ · 09/26/22
I do not miss being a teenager holy fuck. poor kid pleading with his friends explaining that he hasn’t had a first kiss because he wants it to mean something… that was me too bud. it’s ok. on a different note I love that this was filmed by students, low / no budget film making can leave room for the subjects to shine all on their own in a very natural way. loved this.
I do not miss being a teenager holy fuck. poor kid pleading with his friends explaining that he hasn’t had a first kiss because he wants it to mean something… that was me too bud. it’s ok. on a different note I love that this was filmed by students, low / no budget film making can leave room for the subjects to shine all on their own in a very natural way. loved this.
Mike K
8.8★ · 09/16/22
Frederic Da shows off an incredible eye for detail in this micro-budget feature. Many reviews point out the realistic dialogue, but it’s movie magic goes much deeper than that - this film captures all the little tics, movements, and characteristics that make up the conversations between young people.
I’ve seen comparisons to mumblecore, and while the hyper realism of teenage emotions harkens back to MC, there’s a frenetic and layered component to the dialogue which differentiates it.
While this film does some of the best work of breaking down the walls of artifice that I’ve ever seen, it falters when it comes to progressing the plot. These moments, especially when it involves interpersonal conflict, are when you become reminded that the actors are amateurs. Also, as a nitpick, I hated the stabilize/smoothing effect which was thrown on a lot of these clips. You’re shooting on an iPhone, Embrace The Shake. But all in all, an incredibly Immersive and Relatable Film-Watching Experience
I’ve seen comparisons to mumblecore, and while the hyper realism of teenage emotions harkens back to MC, there’s a frenetic and layered component to the dialogue which differentiates it.
While this film does some of the best work of breaking down the walls of artifice that I’ve ever seen, it falters when it comes to progressing the plot. These moments, especially when it involves interpersonal conflict, are when you become reminded that the actors are amateurs. Also, as a nitpick, I hated the stabilize/smoothing effect which was thrown on a lot of these clips. You’re shooting on an iPhone, Embrace The Shake. But all in all, an incredibly Immersive and Relatable Film-Watching Experience
Frederic Da shows off an incredible eye for detail in this micro-budget feature. Many reviews point out the realistic dialogue, but it’s movie magic goes much deeper than that - this film captures all the little tics, movements, and characteristics that make up the conversations between young people.
I’ve seen comparisons to mumblecore, and while the hyper realism of teenage emotions harkens back to MC, there’s a frenetic and layered component to the dialogue which differentiates it.
While this film does some of the best work of breaking down the walls of artifice that I’ve ever seen, it falters when it comes to progressing the plot. These moments, especially when it involves interpersonal conflict, are when you become reminded that the actors are amateurs. Also, as a nitpick, I hated the stabilize/smoothing effect which was thrown on a lot of these clips. You’re shooting on an iPhone, Embrace The Shake. But all in all, an incredibly Immersive and Relatable Film-Watching Experience
I’ve seen comparisons to mumblecore, and while the hyper realism of teenage emotions harkens back to MC, there’s a frenetic and layered component to the dialogue which differentiates it.
While this film does some of the best work of breaking down the walls of artifice that I’ve ever seen, it falters when it comes to progressing the plot. These moments, especially when it involves interpersonal conflict, are when you become reminded that the actors are amateurs. Also, as a nitpick, I hated the stabilize/smoothing effect which was thrown on a lot of these clips. You’re shooting on an iPhone, Embrace The Shake. But all in all, an incredibly Immersive and Relatable Film-Watching Experience