A motley bunch of disaffected punk kids take up residence in a grubby old abandoned home on the outskirts of an affluent California suburb and form their own messed-up, but loyal and loving alternative family. Unfortunately, a hostile group of intolerant redneck vigilantes who call themselves the Citizens Against Crime take issue with the punks living in their neighborhood. Writer/director Penelope Spheeris's extremely raw and rough-around-the-edges low-budget indie drama astutely captures the profound sense of burning anger and acute alienation that were key hallmarks of the 80's punk scene. Moreover, Spheeris neither glorifies nor vilifies the punks; instead she shows these sullen malcontents in a blunt and brutally honest warts'n'all manner that's both nonjudgmental and compassionate, but never sappy or exploitative. Better still, Spheeris does a commendable job of precisely nailing why these kids are so bitter and rebellious by showing that they are the toxic products of such things as poverty, prejudice, and broken dysfunctional families. Granted, the acting from the cast of mostly unprofessional thespians is admittedly crude and amateurish, but the kids are nonetheless believable in their roles, with stand-out contributions from Chris Pederson as charismatic punk leader Jack Diddley, Jennifer Clay as the hard-bitten Sheila, Timothy Eric O'Brien as the surly Skinner, Flea as the rowdy Razzle, and Grant Miner as zonked-out druggie Keef. Don Allen is likewise solid as pragmatic police officer William Rennard. Timothy Suhrstedt's no-frills cinematography gives the picture an appropriately gritty and unpolished look. Alex Gibson's bluesy thrashin' score and the first-rate punk music soundtrack are both on the money excellent and effective. The shocking downbeat ending packs a potent punch. A very powerful and praiseworthy exploration of an interesting and often misunderstood youth subculture.
Review of Suburbia
