Beyond Clueless

Teen movies from the 1990s onwards are the subject of this debut documentary from British film blogger Charlie Lyne. But instead of the usual interviews and anecdotes, Lyne takes a more critical tack, delivering a kind of taxonomy of the genre supported by clips from over 200 films. Thus we are walked through the high-school hierarchy so memorably sketched by John Hughes in the 80s: jocks, geeks and outcasts get a look in, while more general themes such as the overthrow of parental repression and the obligatory sexual awakening are lovingly dissected. Lyne clearly has great affection for the genre, and snappy editing and a great original score by the band Summer Camp do much to alleviate what often becomes a bit of a slog. Given his limited budget (the film was funded via Kickstarter), the clip-based format might be a choice made out of necessity, but the results, though occasionally intriguing, are finally unilluminating. Without any historical context questions about the changing or unchanging nature of the type, and why teen movies adopt such a uniform view (realistic or otherwise) of adolescent life, go frustratingly unasked, let alone answered.