Beast Beast

Three kids from a boring suburb somewhere in the American South. Nito, Adam, and Krista record their spectacular wipeouts on skateboard, learn how to create the perfect YouTube video, and perform onstage— individually, but only for a while, until their lives completely change. In his latest film, straight from the Sundance Festival, Madden gives us a look at contemporary teenagers: tapping on their knees to the rhythm of their conversations and struggling with well-known problems, sharing their last cigarettes, and furtively watching girls, but also fighting for new followers and unsuccessfully explaining to their skeptical parents, during yet another dinner in front of the TV, their plans to conquer the Internet—as in the case of Adam (Will Madden, the director’s younger brother), who is obsessed with weapons and the Second Amendment. That’s the American spirit, baby, says someone in the film, unaware that a foolish game can sometimes end in tragedy—even in a boring suburb somewhere in the American South.