Capsule Reviews feature a collection of thoughts from Sean Phillips (Math Teacher Movies) on films from recent days, as well as the past year, decade, and beyond.

From Sean Phillips

This is the quintessential coming-of-age story for the millennial generation. From awkward parties to AOL Instant Messenger conversations this matches the world perfectly with authenticity while pumping the perfect amount of nostalgia into every scene.  

The movie is a mess in terms of plot, but so is adolescence, and so by the end it’s easy to understand the objective of the movie and how it’s all the better for it. 

Director Sean Wang gives the portrait and perspective of a teenager that is unflinching and jumps from setting to setting, never getting out of his own way. 

Izaac Wang holds a terrific lead performance as a youth that keeps his feelings buried, but still lets them leak out in the most satisfying of ways that benefit the character.  

Joan Chen rips your heart in half with a fully dimensional character that drives the film to its best parts while still maintaining an independence that contributes to the story. 

The portraits of family were some of the most honest and tender. Whether it be mother and son or brother and sister, the connections are the perfect level of emotion making for a sensational watch. 

The fragility balanced with the sporadic tone is the needed balance for the plot that almost seems impossible but is nailed down perfectly in this film.

This film is currently available to be seen in the theater.

Rating: 5/5

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