Editor’s Notes: We Are Your Friends is currently out in wide theatrical release.
Imagine, if you will, a world where twenty-something partiers in tank tops are the underdogs. Where problems, from mundane to legitimate, are solved with immature fights, then childish apologies. Where anyone who contests the opinions of tank top-wearing twenty-somethings is immediately an antagonist. Naiveté is king, and not the endearing, likable kind. Sexual encounters lay the groundwork for immature squabbles, which in turn determine the courses of larger dramatic arcs. Here, life doesn’t begin until you start the party. This is the world of We Are Your Friends.
With an annoyingly saturated style, Max Joseph’s directorial debut We Are Your Friends bounces from montage to montage with no real anchor other than Zac Efron’s smirk.
With an annoyingly saturated style, Max Joseph’s directorial debut We Are Your Friends bounces from montage to montage with no real anchor other than Zac Efron’s smirk. It’s about Cole Carter, a downtrodden but hopeful DJ played by Efron, who resides in the San Fernando Valley. He wants to make something more of himself, as does his excessively macho entourage, and runs into the already-famous DJ James, a man who can make Cole’s dream of success a reality. The only thing standing in the way? James’ girlfriend, a fun-loving woman who piques Cole’s interest. The two of them embark on a romance, and Cole must find a balance between maintaining his career and being happy.
This story, told with self-fellating absurdity, is like a maddening music video devoid of creative structure.
This story, told with self-fellating absurdity, is like a maddening music video devoid of creative structure. Mind-numbing montages appear as frequently as sappy motifs, and both are equally irritating. Cole is supposed to be a relatable lead, but it’s difficult to connect with someone who has life’s luxuries showered upon him at the drop of a hat, with no responsibilities other than “don’t piss of DJ James.” His friends aren’t much better, getting in physical confrontations over sushi, sporting clothes that state their archetypes, and exuding listless arrogance with every word out of their mouths. The real world is a hard place for these guys simply because its situations require more than a moment’s thought, and while this may be a reasonably sound character trait, it doesn’t work when the characters showing it display a resentment of the world they’re failing to grasp.
Underneath the blaring (but admittedly well picked) soundtrack are mundane attempts to inspire wonder, whether through out-of-place animated sequences or supposed dream-like imagery. Max Joseph makes the drastic mistake of constantly amplifying his visual style, with lens flares and other stimuli, trying to increase sincerity. But ironically, the result is insincerity, because quiet moments are now suddenly showy, bombastic ones. It’s the very definition of style over substance. We’re not allowed a moment to breath, to reflect on anything that’s transpired, because Joseph seems to think bigger and louder translates to stronger emotional resonance. Funnily enough, the opposite would actually serve better as a nice contrast to the erratic nature of electronic music. Ignoring that is what brings We Are Your Friends from annoying to insufferable.
What this feels like more than anything is an exercise, one that entails placing Zac Efron into a club and seeing what cool cuts or camera tricks can be accomplished. And if it is an experiment, the conclusion is a lack of enjoyment. Dreadfully sorry, We Are Your Friends, but I’m not your friend.
3.3AWFUL
What this feels like more than anything is an exercise, one that entails placing Zac Efron into a club and seeing what cool cuts or camera tricks can be accomplished. And if it is an experiment, the conclusion is a lack of enjoyment. Dreadfully sorry, We Are Your Friends, but I'm not your friend.
Brandon is attached to all forms of media, whether TV-related or social, but loves film the most. He strives to watch as much as possible, whenever possible.
