Age Out (2018)
The tears are still burning my cheeks all the way down to my chin. This movie was gritty, realistic, and heartbreaking. The music stood out as exceptional, really capturing the mood of the chaos that was going on. At times the cinematography was pristine, and at other times it seemed like a low budget movie that couldn't afford a tripod. The handheld shots added to the gritty realism, enhancing the overall realism of the movie. Tye Sheridan played the lead, Richie, an orphan who grew up in foster care. At 18 he wanted to start his life, working to pay his bills and hold his own. Life was hard, but so was he, and he was getting by for the most part. Then he met Swim, a delinquent played by Caleb Jones. Jones did a great job of portraying a drugged out petty criminal set on turning the world upside down. He dragged Richie down with him, but Richie struggled to keep his head above water despite all the chaos. Then Richie met Joan, played by Imogen Poots, and everything changed. She was a little older, and somewhat damaged, but so was he. They were a perfect pair. They hit it off right away, and things were looking up. But fate wasn't quite on their side. Richie was a strong silent type, and he struggled to navigate life's land mines while pursing love with someone who really understood him. This was a movie about life. This was the perfect movie for me. It's the kind of movie I love; it really hits my sweet spot. It was realistic, gritty, it had violence and it had passion. It had love, and understanding, deep understanding about life and people. It was artistically shot, with an emphasis on realism. Tye Sheridan, Caleb Jones, and Imogen Poots all gave stellar performances. The directing was top notch, as attention was payed to detail, and all of the extras' acting was on point. The set design was flawless. The story crushed my heart. I loved it every step of the way. It ended with tears streaming down their faces and mine.