The In Crowd

This beach-club teen murder mystery was pummeled by the critics and lasted about three weeks in theaters before beating a hasty retreat to the rental market. Like all films that foster extreme comments and establish preconceived expectations, this one failed to live up (or should I say down) to them. It wasn't great, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as its critics say it was.

The story was actually good, in a puerile way. What I liked about it was that it accurately portrayed the immature backbiting and excessive preoccupation with superficialities that are common among teens. In certain ways, the story was predictable. It was easy to foresee that Adrien (Lori Heuring) was kidding herself if she thought there was no ulterior motive behind Brittany's (Susan Ward) open acceptance of an outsider into the group. What was cleverly presented and not so obvious was Brittany's motive.

The production was TV quality. Director, Mary Lambert has mostly TV credits on her resume and didn't push the envelope. The acting was mediocre at best. Both Lori Heuring and Susan Ward were passable but unpolished and they lacked subtlety. The rest of the cast was far worse.

This film will probably find a niche with teens and twenty-something young adults, but I don't think it is camp enough to attain cult status. I rated it a 5/10. It's not terrible, but it really doesn't distinguish itself in any meaningful way.

Sloppy, bad movie. But, and it's a big but, it is a curious glimpse of how mind-bogglingly oblivious some people can be to how lucky they are, of how treacherous young women can be when it comes to their territory, of how stupid young men can be, of how a social group can be seen as responsible for the abuses of one individual within that group, especially when that group is the one in power.

But, and this is another big but, there are far more satisfying explorations of such topics, that offer something beyond prurience.

Too bad, because I have been hopeful of Mary Lambert ever since Pet Sematary which, though not a highwater mark in any genre, did explore in a gratifying way how deep people's needs and wants can run, and how that can sometimes manifest in absolute and utter resentment within and between the sexes.

It also had a neat sense of humor underlying it all, which does not always balance well in a horror flick.

Come on, Mary, where's the good stuff?

I saw this DVD last night and it was okay, kinda like I Know What You Did At the Mental Hospital Last Summer. But when it was over I was playing around with the special features and brought up the second audio track with a running commentary by Susan Ward and Lori Heuring. For 90 minutes these two talked about hair styles, dresses, breastages, sweating, fake Cosmopolitans, toenail polish, and whatever else entered their minds. I was rolling on the floor. So if you want to see a mediocre thriller turned into an hilarious comedy, get the DVD, go to special features, and be prepared to laugh your butt off for an hour and a half.

call me crazy but i really liked this movie! ok so it was a little predictable but it was quite gripping. I liked susan wards character in the movie. and if anyone knows where that lip gloss came from please email me!

i loved the way that brittany seemed totally normal yet ended up being the weird one. although the film should have had a higher rating what with the nudity scenes and stuff.

all in all i'd give the in crowd 7/10

All the girls in this film slither around like snakes (or feral felines moving in for the kill), and Lori Heuring, the main girl, looks like a deranged cross between Madonna and Jewel (with her twisted little smile and semi-crazed eyes), and the guys are either drunk, stupid or a dazed combination of the two. And these are some of the GOOD POINTS of the movie! High camp at its most pleasurable.