I went into this film knowing that it was a really important film for my partner, and it would be some sort of gateway to understand her experiences better. This isn't the kind of film where you can argue if it was good or bad, unless you're talking about the way it was shot and other technical features. However, in terms of the narrative, you couldn't argue that because the experiences presented are so specific and they are deeply personal.
Technically speaking, it's not typically the kind of film I would watch because I love that stylised cinema aesthetic or nostalgic type of storytelling that we would get from more distinguished filmmakers, however this film is very much embedded in a specific time period; the 90's. Around the time I was the only teen at my school watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, until other people started to watch it too... Okay, so probably just all the weirdos like me. So keeping that 90's vibe and aesthetic in mind, that's what the film delivers with a hint of surrealism (like the 90's weren't weird enough - puberty, apparently being the only queer kid in a girls school, being suicidal etc.). Had this come out in the 90's, it would have been life changing for thousands of people I imagine.
What I didn't expect from the film was that Maddy's character would resonate so much with me. I wondered if most queer girls in high school felt the same way. I felt seen. And the concept of the Pink Opaque felt like an allegory of me discovering my spirituality and the truth that there was so much more to life than what was being shown to me. Both Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine give fantastic and painfully honest performances that had me in tears at a few points. I loved the lighting in the film and the way the story is delivered. So much of it felt like a half remembered dream.
This film has been a joy to recommend to my queer friends and students.
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