November Criminals

A coming of age crime mystery with a perplexing title. Chloë Grace Moretz was cute, even with the extreme close ups. She and Ansel Elgort, they gave good and convincing performances. Pacing was too slow. Music was mostly sedate but good. Supporting cast was also good. However, there was little to get thrilled about. The love scenes were cute but too mild. It is mostly slow and methodical and its emotional impact is cerebral. Overall, it is thought provoking but lacks excitement.

I think it's entertaining and I always like seeing Moretz, but this was nothing special. Maybe it's because of who the lead is, but sometimes it felt like they were trying to do a little Baby Driver with the emphasis on music, only not as well. Also found some of the scenes really cringey, specifically the romantic ones. But it's not a terrible flick; it occupies the same space as a movie that you'd just turn on TV one day when you don't feel like doing much. It succeeds that much.

The pace of this movie always felt off, moving too fast or too slow. The acting I thought was terrific. But the story was just sort of one-dimensional, hinting at deeper moments that went unexplored (especially with the parents) and felt like it ended just as it was starting to take off.

Critics didn't care for this one too much. I thought it was better than average and different from most teen movies. Extra points for great end credits and overall soundtrack!

They couldn't have been that close as friends.

okay movie