Pretty Darko

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2002)

Of the mainstream American movies I have seen in the past months, this is surely one of the most surprising.
The nice suburban setting made me wary at first, expecting another of the countless exposes on the problems of people who have nothing to worry about except the excess of luxury.
But pretty soon I got swept up in the mystery of this boy who is somehow doomed. The story is pretty thick and the music is outright annoying at times. Still, the acting is good. Especially the guy playing Donnie is terrific. I also liked the way the movie evades overt moralism and instead lets you judge for yourself. This is only partly true, but if you compare this film to 90% of other Hollywood teenage films (Life as a house stands out as a particularly ominous example), it certainly is refreshing.