[Movies] The Wackness

Hey folks! Marcus Baker here with another movie recommendation. My pick is the week is for The Wackness.

The Wackness is a coming-of-age drama that follows the drug-tinged escapades of dealer Luke (Josh Peck) over the summer of '94 as his life intersects with those of his therapist, Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) and his step daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thrilby), all while trying to help his family avoid eviction. Grounded in New York City, the film relies heavily on music and slang to build up the atmosphere and social sense of the era. The soundtrack is littered with everything from Method Man to Tribe Called Quest to TLC, all the while Luke kicks around the Big Apple with Stephanie and her dog, Jesus Christ. 

The Wackness makes for an interesting case study of sorts; it's a film where the setting is built up so well that it almost becomes more interesting than the story itself. This is not to say that the performances (particularly by Peck) aren't great or that the story isn't engaging, rather that director Jonathan Levine succeeds in realizing the tone and heft of a time frame so well that it seems as though the streets themselves are the real main character in the film. Levine, who followed Wackness with 2011's cancer comedy 50/50 and 2013's Warm Bodies, shows off a real talent for framing here as well. The visual style of the the film practically hinges on switching between wide, almost panoramic shots and tight close ups, as if to reinforce the bipolar, forever-in-progress psyches of the characters.

The Wackness is far from a perfect film, but if you're looking for a bit of 90's nostalgia with a killer soundtrack, or even craving a weekend in Brooklyn but can't afford the air fare, then this is the certainly the film for you.