Deltopia

Yes, this is along the lines of Project X, but this a step up. While both films share common themes of wild parties and teenage rebellion, they differ in terms of tone, narrative focus, character development, and visual style. Project X is a raunchy comedy with slapstick humor, whereas Deltopia leans more towards drama and dark comedy. Deltopia has more depth in terms of character development and exploration of internal conflicts and motivations, whereas Project X prioritizes humor and spectacle over character depth. Overall, Deltopia is a far better watch, the films depicts the real challenges faced by young people as they transition from teenagers to adulthood, grappling with issues of identity, ambition, and belonging. Enjoy the ride.

Irony. Any streaming series you pick today has main arcs, sub arcs, hidden arcs, long arcs, short arcs. Arc overkill. Because the #1 goal of any series in 2023 is to get renewed, to lockup both the audience and the cash flow. Deltopia is the opposite. The ambitious 1:45 runtime is almost all characterizations and not much on story. But it works. It holds the attention. It feels authentic. It engages. And it also works as a showcase for new talent who may one day have this in their Highlight Reels as a legit breakout performance. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Overall, this an incredibly enjoyable and well executed coming of age film. A far superior high school film than most, this story felt so real as it was based on true events and the filmmaking felt almost like a documentary in the way it was filmed. The editing DELIVERS and connects with the audience giving us time to recover from all the highs and lows. The score is amazing and the music keeps the pacing of the story pumping. I would absolutely recommend this movie. I think Luna Blaise, Madison Pettis, Hart Denton and Charlie Gillespie all have promising careers aead of them and I can't wait to see what comes next from all of them, including the directors/producers.

The movie presents a narrative that, while not revolutionary in its approach, manages to capture the viewer's interest with its central storyline. The concept of Deltopia is intriguing and is portrayed as a vibrant and energetic event, which adds a layer of excitement to the film. The main actors deliver competent performances, contributing to the film's overall appeal despite its shortcomings.

However, the technical aspects of the film, particularly the sound design, leave much to be desired. The audio mixing seems uneven, with the background ambiance almost entirely absent in several scenes. This lack of ambient sound creates an unrealistic and jarring experience, as viewers are accustomed to a certain level of environmental noise in films that adds to the realism. The moments of complete silence, except for the dialogue, detract from the immersive experience typically expected from a movie.

Moreover, there are instances where the volume levels are inconsistent, particularly during dialogues where the sound abruptly drops, disrupting the flow of conversation. This issue points to a possible lack of thorough quality assurance in the post-production phase, which is critical in ensuring a seamless audio-visual experience.

Really loved this film. It was raw, relatable and very entertaining.

The dialogue can sometimes be vulgar and shocking but it does seem true to how teenagers spoke in 2014, so it only adds to the believability of the characters and the story.

All the actors give very impressive performances, my favorite stand outs being Luna Blaise (who plays Hannah) , Hart Denton (Who Plays Bones) and Will Peltz (who plays Slim). The characters are rich and interesting, which is a credit to the great writing.

The music, score and cinematography are all top notch. All in all it is a very impressive feature directorial debut by writer/directors Jaala Ruffman & Michael Easterling. Am eager to see what is next from them.