The Dirties (2013)

Directed by: Matthew Johnson
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Audacious and darkly funny are the best adjectives to characterize “The Dirties”, the directorial debut by Matthew Johnson who also plays himself in the main role, a bullied High School student whose plan consists on killing a group of bullies he calls The Dirties. The film starts in a provocative way stating that scenes of graphic violence are intended for mature audiences and out of respect for the victims and their families, the footage has not been altered in any way. Matt and his friend Owen Wilson despite isolated from the rest of the world, have each other as company. Although they not always agree, their irreverence and creativity are a constant presence in school. Their revengeful plan was well premeditated, including a shooting practice and obtaining of blue prints from school, but while Owen sees it as a mere game without taking it seriously, Matthew is really determined in carrying it forward. “The Dirties” is a compelling portrait on bullying, school violence, and alienated teenagers, that could not achieve even better results because its experimental filmmaking was technically carefree, presenting a sort of anarchy, which intended or not, wasn’t appealing for the eyes. The frequent use of shaky camera with sudden zooms, lurking from corners or windows is a good example. Nevertheless, it showed enormous merit in other aspects such as: the creative idea behind the plot, the rousing and sarcastic finale, and credible performances. Regardless its faulty execution, at least we can say it was done with the right attitude.