There is a long history of films that attempt to capture the world of modern youth culture. Harmony Korine and Larry Clark might have the most famous example with their 1995 film “Kids.” But that film has spawned many other films that aim to showcase the “real” way teens interact, such as “Thirteen” and even more recently (with a far more comedic tone) “Eighth Grade.” Now, filmmaker Michael Curtis Johnson adds to this storied sub-genre of films with his upcoming “Savage Youth.”
In honor of “Savage Youth” being released in April, we are proud to present our readers with the premiere of the film’s trailer and poster. Inspired by news of violence in his hometown involving teenagers, Johnson wrote and directed “Savage Youth,” which tells the story of a group of troubled teens in a small town. As you might expect, especially if you’ve grown up in an impoverished small town, drugs and violence run amok, and the six teens at the heart of the film must deal with the consequences.
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You can see from the trailer, “Savage Youth” isn’t easily categorized. There are elements of a crime thriller, with dashes of post-modern horror. Hell, with the rapping towards the end, you could even say the film has musical flourishes. All told, in its 97-minute run-time, “Savage Youth” is sure to present the story of marginalized youth in a way you probably haven’t seen before.
The filmmaker says he was inspired by the films of S. E. Hinton and Jean-Luc Godard when making “Savage Youth.” Johnson adds, “It was difficult to blend the earnestness of Hinton’s narratives (and her tough yet melancholic characters) with Godard’s cinematic flourishes, banal violence, and realism… but our cast was up to the task.”
The films stars Chloë Levine, who is best known for her roles in “The OA” and last year’s festival standout “The Ranger,” alongside Grace Victoria Cox, Tequan Richmond, Will Brittain, Mitchell Edwards, J. Michael Trautmann, and Sasha Feldman.
“Savage Youth” will hit digital and VOD on April 9.
Here’s the synopsis:
The lives of six troubled teens in a racially-divided small town take a violent turn over drugs and broken hearts. Based on true events.
