jkmtzgr

This is essentially a stoner teen comedy on the surface, but Dazed and Confused has a lot more to offer than just teens doing dumb things like most other comedies of this nature.

It's charming, raunchy, heartfelt, and it's very funny.

Despite focusing on several characters at once, the film is good at balancing out each of their stories and making them relatable. There are certain characters that are more one-dimensional, like some of the bullies, but they don't overstay their welcome and they get a good amount of laughs as well.

The seniors, juniors, and even middle school kids are all going through major changes in their lives. These are relatable dilemmas that don't feel tagged-on or overly sentimental. They let it play out naturally and I really appreciate this film for handling it in a realistic, albeit mostly humorous way.

I think that not having Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused play at the end of the film was a missed opportunity, but that's only a nitpick. This movie is still great!

The main couple make a choice to not celebrate Christmas and it's meant with relentless hostility. It doesn't help that they are jerks to pretty much everyone. So, you'd think that it's the neighbors we're supposed to be rooting for. But instead, they harass the main characters and use peer pressure to get what they want from them.

Here's the thing: traditions, especially during the holidays, are wonderful and they can bring people together. But that is not the core value of why we celebrate during this time of year.

The thing is: sometimes people obsess over things that aren't that important or try something new when they probably should have left good enough alone. This movie could have easily taken a funny, satirical approach to why traditions don't always work. But instead, it says "force people into your own traditions, even when they don't want it."

It's a mean, lazy, and sometimes uncomfortable holiday film that is guaranteed to put me in bad mood.