Over the course of this 5+ month quarantine, I have quietly watched through almost every form of media that is available to consume on my Roku streaming stick. No matter if it was long, short, good, bad, or unwatchable, I viewed them all with the intention that they would hopefully make the day go faster. However, one film I watched on a whim after scouring the platform Hulu caught my eye. On the thumbnail for the feature was Pete Davidson, a man I only referred to as Ariana Grande’s ex who may or may not have a knack for comedy. As I pressed play I didn’t know what I would be watching.
Big Time Adolescence is a 2019 coming-of-age film, as well as directorial debut by filmmaker Jason Orley, who both wrote, as well as directed it. Its story follows the relationship between Mo and Zeke, Zeke being a 20-something, drug-dealing college drop out, and Mo being the 16-year-old brother of one of Zeke’s ex-girlfriends from high school. The pairing have an unconventional relationship as Mo idolizes Zeke and all his questionable antics. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I’m very surprised it has not gotten the amount of recognition it deserves. It follows in the footsteps of hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age films like Superbad and Booksmart, but brings its own solemn tone. It reminded me of a male version of Lady Bird by Greta Gerwig, with its dry comedic energy and emphasis on the connection of individual characters to drive the story.
Though I have never experienced an unconventional male bond, and will never know how it feels to be a teenage boy growing up, I really felt as though I could relate to the characters in my own personal way. I relate to Mo’s sarcastic attitude towards high school just like how I also relate to Zeke’s carefree nature at times. Unlike its predecessor coming-of-age films, this story does not end with a cookie cutter conclusion of the main characters riding off into the sunset or making the life-altering discovery that changes them for the better. Instead, the feature settles on a more realistic ending that leaves the viewer with many deliberate loose ends.
Pete Davidson really impressed me. He had very good on-screen chemistry with his co-star and rising actor Griffin Luck and really solidified himself as a real force in the acting world, with his almost emotionally manipulative acting power that caused me to gain sympathy for him even when he made the most questionable decisions. However, I’m not quite sure if he can pull it off again in a more versatile role, one that is vastly different from his actual personality. Nonetheless, I’m excited to see where he will go from here.
When reading up on this movie, I discovered that it was very popular and successful at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. However, after its immediate success, it was never picked up by a studio, and thus never had a theatrical release. It instead found its home on the streaming platform Hulu, which is where I watched it. In the 21st century, we are lucky enough to have streaming platforms such as Hulu and Netflix, as they allow different stories that may not be picked up by major studios, to still be told. Without Hulu, I may have never been able to experience this story, which has really touched my heart.
Recently, there have been many movies that have been released on streaming platforms that have received different successes and even have gone as far as winning Academy Awards (Roma, Lady Bird). Features such as Parasite, this year’s best picture and best foreign film winner, have been released on a streaming platform and been able to reach many audiences that they may have not have without its platform. Big Time Adolescence was a heartfelt, entertaining film that I was very grateful to see thanks to the versatility of movie streaming platforms.