In most coming-of-age films, our young lead goes on a wild journey that leads them to learning a lesson about the nature of adulthood, youth, and the responsibilities that come with growing up. In Big Time Adolescence, by the time our lead gets to that learning that lesson, the film ends on a note that – depending on how you read it – suggests it might be too late. That the character has regressed to a point that is almost beyond repair, and any potential he may have had as a grown adult has been significantly diminished. It’s not a sad ending, but a bittersweet one, one that touches on the truths of how messy growing up can be, and how much the people we look up to can be the ones who let us down the hardest.
It’s not to say writer/director, Jason Orley, is trying to reinvent the genre or anything, the general template is still very familiar, and he touches on very familiar tropes and themes, which considering the nature of the genre, it comes with the territory. In the case of Big Time Adolescence, we have 16 year old Mo (Griffin Gluck), who is constantly hanging out with his much older friend, Zeke (Pete Davidson). He is not a particularly good influence, and some of his habits and attitude begins rubbing off on Mo, much to the dismay of his father, Reuben (Jon Cryer). And as Mo tries to navigate his teenage years, including his interest in a classmate named Sophie (Oona Laurence), he gets caught up in Zeke’s schemes, which begin to land him in trouble.
While Gluck may be the lead, the star of the show is Davidson. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock for the past couple years because I haven’t really been exposed to much of Davidson’s work, I don’t watch SNL, I haven’t seen any of his standup, but he has grown a bit of a reputation that has become hard to ignore. So, for someone like me, just going by his performance here, I think Davidson does a terrific job. I suppose it’s arguable that the role already leans heavily on his general persona, but within that, he infuses so much pathos, and his on screen presence is sharp and charismatic.
The chemistry between Mo and Zeke, which the film is required to nail to work, is palpable. It taps into that mindset where even if you know what you’re doing is wrong, it feels right in the moment, and that bond between the two is deeply felt. It’s easy to see why Mo finds himself susceptible to Zeke’s words and general attitude towards life, it’s incredibly seductive and full of superficial pleasures. It makes Mo’s eventual turn even more believable because due to Zeke’s insistence, Mo begins dealing drugs to his classmates at parties, a decision that bites him later on.
On top of that, the film is very funny. Davidson can deliver the hell out of a line, but even supporting players like Cryer, Machine Gun Kelly and Thomas Barbusca get moments to shine. The women in the film, mostly in Laurence, Sydney Sweeney – who plays Zeke’s girlfriend, and Emily Arlook – Mo’s older sister and Zeke’s ex, largely serve as outsiders who see right through Zeke’s toxicity, without much complication of their own. Though, a beat involving Mo and Holly, Zeke’s girlfriend feels like it should’ve built up to something more substantial than it did. The women are fine in the film, but don’t get much to do. Though, I suppose it’s easier to swallow in this case because the themes of the film lean heavily on the relationships between men and exploring masculinity as it relates to growing up.
Jason Orley plays it smart with Big Time Adolescence. He keeps its ambitions modest, and he focuses on its ideas just consistently and empathetically enough to pull those ambitions off. It might be covering familiar thematic ground, but the emotions and relationships still ring true. It’s a very good movie about losers. And it approaches these losers with a real sense of humanity that lets you enjoy the fun you’re having with them before breaking your heart with the realization that associating with people like Zeke will pull you away from yourself. It’s solidly constructed, well performed by its cast, hilarious, moving, and because of this, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Pete Davidson in the future, and for the time being, I’m cool with that.