A good movie about a topic that's been made movies off a lot lately, what with dysfunctional families/millenials, drugs and America, and all that. American Honey did it quite well, too. The camera-work in the beginning almost nauseated me, but it was interesting camerawork nonetheless. I liked how the director used lights and colours in this. Very dramatic and neo-noiresque, I appreciated that. I also enjoyed the different angles and takes. I had not expected the main focus and main character to shift – a pleasant surprise. A lot of tragedy packed into one film, and many moments I was moved to tears. So sad how hard it seems for people to just love another (and stop capslocking about important issues). When we realise how all things have causes and effects and everything influences each other, it gets tougher to assign blame too. [spoiler]But holy damn was I bothered by how they ruled a homicide _by accident_ as "second degree murder" and "lifelong prison". What the actual fuck, that justice system is seriously fucked. Also wondering what it would have been ruled if he'd been a white guy. Yikes.[/spoiler]

Be a lot better if the music and camera work / colours wasn't so over done and in the audience face. Way too long and criminally poor ending.

A reminder for dudes out there to wear a condom, or your life is destined to screwed if she changes her mind about abortion.

What an incredible audiovisual experience. I’ve seen people calling it ‘showy’, ‘over colour corrected’ or ‘disorienting’, which I think goes to show how accustomed audiences have become to the bland, unimaginative filmmaking served up by mainstream studio films. The soundtrack is also incredible, all of the needle drops are purposeful and every song bangs. Shults uses every tool at his disposal to create this emotionally reasonant experience; the blocking, lighting, aspect ratio, colour and sound choices are all very well thought out and serve the story. The performances are impressive. The story is surprising and interestingly structured, though the second half isn’t as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the first half. It kinda starts to lose its way in the third act, however. It introduces this new storyline relating to Lucas Hedges’ character, which I thought was unnecessary. It’s supposed to add some more meaning about different parental relationships, and while emotionally it hits the mark, the subtext remains vague and messy. Overall, it’s an impressive piece of work that’s recommended to fans of psychological dramas. Fans of PTA (and especially _Magnolia_) will probably get a lot out of this. 8/10

Crashing waves of anger, regret, consequence, and hopelessness. Crashing waves of love, redemption, forgiveness, and hope. This film is awash with many moments of high emotion and feeling, and while it doesn't always come together as hoped, it is still a commendable effort.