Filmmakers (and novelists) have long deployed nostalgia as a tool to sway our opinion of a movie. Being reminded of our younger, supposedly simpler and happier days triggers something in our brains that can make us more receptive to a story, regardless of its quality. It doesn’t always work out (see Y2K. Or don’t.), but when it does it greatly enhances the enjoyment for those who recall the time period being portrayed. Writer and director Cory Wexler Grant deploys the mid-90s vibes pretty perfectly in his queer, coming-of-age, high school-set story Screams from the Tower, using it more as set-dressing than rubbing our faces in it and while his film isn’t perfect, it hit a lot of the right notes for someone who was experiencing the same stage of life as the characters during that era.
Best friends Julien (Richie Fusco) and Cary (David Bloom) are entering their Junior year of high school. That is the grade at which students in their institution can audition to host a radio show on the school’s station, and the pair—Julien especially—have long wanted to get on the air. Their dreams come true when they are given a coveted morning show slot every Tuesday and appear to be having a ball broadcasting their unique sense of humor out to the community, even if it occasionally gets them in a bit of trouble. But as is often the case with lifelong friends, their desired paths begin to diverge as they mature, and Senior year looks to bring with it some major changes in their relationships both with each other and the rest of their group of outcast friends.
There is a certain amateurish quality to a lot of the movie that is sometimes hard to overlook, with the lighting and the music in particular cheapening the experience. Likewise, Grant’s script is not as funny as it really ought to be. There are some genuine laughs to be had, especially in the day-to-day life moments, but the supposedly hilarious radio show at the film’s center is only occasionally worthy of a chuckle or two. In all fairness though it does feel like something that teenagers at the time would have likely enjoyed. Why the movie’s adults are so enraptured by it is a bit of a mystery, however.
On the positive side, the emotional arc of the story is mostly handled well, ringing true to what it was like to be nerdy, geeky, different, in the closet, or some combination thereof in high school in the 90s. Everyone is well cast and feel like real friends, with Bloom and especially Fusco feeling like genuine finds. The adult cast are no slouches either, adding a mix of mature warmth and comic absurdity to the ensemble. It’s genuinely important at the age to have grown-ups around you that care, and while it is a little bit glossed over it’s still a message that resonates nicely.
Screams from the Tower is a sweet little movie about an endearing group of young people learning the importance of self-acceptance and platonic love, with the latter lesson in particular being a nice touch. Taking the usual romance movie tropes and flipping them to focus instead on friendship is a welcome change of pace and I would love to see more stories that take this route. Grant definitely still has some room to grow as a filmmaker, but after watching Screams, most will be eager to see what he does next. ★★★
not rated. contains some language including sexual references and drug references, all involving teens.
★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor
-
-
-
-
-