Over the Edge (1979)

Directed by Jonathan Kaplan. Starring Michael Kramer, Pamela Ludwig, Matt Dillon, Tom Fergus, Vincent Spano, Harry Northup, Andy Romano, Ellen Geer. [PG]

Raw, naturalistic look at restless, alienated, and largely unsupervised teens in a planned community who rebel against conformist authorities and casually commit petty crimes that escalate towards danger and violence. The crude docudrama approach is part of the film’s appeal and disquieting power, with very little of the calculation that usually comes with the territory (e.g., Larry Clark’s Kids)…all the way up to the end, when it finally falls apart with a climax more appropriate for a juvenile delinquency exploitation flick (or even an action picture!). Performances have a true-to-life awkwardness; the most arresting youngster is the confused ruffian played by Dillon in his film debut. Soundtrack appropriately cycles through a handful of late-70s punk/new wave numbers from Ramones, Cheap Trick, and the Cars.

68/100