Smartass

Fans of films like Love and a .45, Natural Born Killers, Killing Zoe, Spun, and those other niche crime thrillers will find quite a delight in this film. Characters are charmingly broken, quick witted, and often borderline sociopaths, but all with seemingly redeeming qualities that won't leave you feeling too guilty for identifying with them, even if just for a moment.

While the titular character often comes off as trying too hard in the role, and there are some snarky bits that feel somehow off, the film is a chaotic thrill ride with interesting characters and story. One part cautionary tale, one part ride-on-the-wild-side, there's enough here to keep just about any fan of the genre occupied.

But set in California. Without any wit, heart or humor. But with a lead actress so terribly miscast you can almost see her wanting to apologize after every F bomb she drops. We follow her over one night trying to navigate her way around various gangland/underworld perils to get back to the safety of her drug dealing pals. She gets involved in lots of nefarious druggy activities which are all blandly scripted and ludicrous to watch. You need to have an actor who goes at this film full throttle. And with this script that means nudity, a convincing nastiness to their character and someone who knows how to smoke and take drugs realistically on screen. Former teen nickleodeon star joey king is not that actress. This film is an utter failure. Even the casual violence and constant racial insults and slurs became boring to watch after about 15 minutes. By 20 minutes in i was aching to turn this off. But somehow i stuck it out to the end.

I watched this on Amazon streaming, only because Joey King is in it, as 15-yr-old Freddie. As she is preparing to skip out she tells her mother, just imagine I am at summer camp, if you don't hear from me for a week don't worry.

The thing about Freddie is she goes into any situation totally unafraid, whether it be jail or a drug deal with guns pointed at everyone. It is as if she can't get hurt, but others may get killed and often do. She always "smartasses" herself out of any situation.

It isn't a good movie per se but a few of the situations are really entertaining. Like the time she caught a ride, the guy drugged her, put her in a cheap motel room and "sold" her for $200. When she realizes what is going on and what was expected she went into action to escape and even get money from the motel manager by threatening to expose his scheme.

No question Joey King is the only good thing about this movie, all the other actors and characters are worthless. Most viewers will not enjoy this movie.

I'm pretty easy going with movies, so maybe that's why I enjoyed the movie. I thought Joey King was entertaining in this movie. Overall it was a good movie.

This movie makes light of a completely insane and self destructive lifestyle centered around a 15 yr old girl that runs away from her single mom and brother. All her friends are junkies and HARD drug dealers. She takes the wrap for a needle her older guy friend had stashed and is then released on her own in the middle of the night. She almost gets gang raped, she smokes crack for the first time like it's no big deal, she has a pervert pleasure himself while giving her a ride, and then gets drugged and sold for $200 by someone posing as a nice guy to some man that looks around 50 yrs old.. and narrowly escapes that... I've lived and seen the dark side of the "life style" this film makes light of. It's not funny and it's not a subject to joke about. Pure deceptive trash that kids will see and think this "life style" is fun and cool. They'll find out it isn't after it's too late though. This movie could not send a worse message to "teens".