We Are Your Friends *** (2015, Zac Efron, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer, Jonny Weston, Wes Bentley, Emily Ratajkowski) – Movie Review

Zac Efron, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer and a brutalist shaven-headed Jonny Weston star as a quartet of 23-year-old drifters in a poor area of Hollywood (there’s a poor area of Hollywood?) who are still trying to find their way in life and their niche. They are nicheless, hovering between glamorous music and grubby money-making as a way to survive and prosper.

Efron plays an aspiring DJ called Cole Carter, who in trying to find the path that will lead him to fame and fortune, hitches a ride with older, established musician/ music producer James (Wes Bentley), who befriends him and brings his attractive lover Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski) into Efron’s life.

Caught between illicit romance with Sophie and the expectations of his loser friends, Efron’s in trouble in co-writer/director Max Joseph’s promising debut feature, made by Britain’s Working Title, trying something new, thinking way out of the romcom box.

This belated coming-of-age movie doesn’t have much of a story, but it has some fascinating situations and characters and relationships, as well as loads of atmosphere and flashy style and smart editing. The casting is excellent and acting is persuasive, with the difficult to cast Efron and Bentley outstanding, though Efron’s looking too old now to play 23, making the whole age difference between the two men less credible and impactful.

Alas there’s not really much that the likeable Fernandez, Shaffer and Weston can do to shine, as their uncharacterful roles are way under-written. The same goes for Ratajkowski, who just has to look attractive, so that’s a job well done.

Oddly, it’s Efron and Bentley’s relationship, not Efron and Ratajkowski’s or Efron and Weston’s, that is the centre of the movie, which plays as a critique of a lost generation, as well as a hopeful biopic of a future star DJ in a high-energy music and dance scene. The film tends to glamorise drink and drugs, just as it does sex and rock ‘n roll, but you could also say that it dissects the whole scene and values its worth or lack of worth.

So it’s an interesting movie, really quite a good one, worth checking out. It’s a good move for Efron, sandwiched between his two Bad Neighbours comedies.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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