Nowhere: Review

27th August 2013

As the conclusion to his uber-bright, uber-gory Teen Destruction trilogy, Nowhere is a feast for the eyes. The highly stylized sets, trippy characters and theatrical gore are even more hyperbolised than the initial The Doom Generation and Totally F***ed Up. Think Rules of Attraction meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Although director Gregg Araki is apparent in his yearning to present damaged youth culture, choosing a group of bulimic, over-sexed, junkie, vacant and alienated teens, the inclusion of ten-foot aliens brings this film into a more entertaining light. Araki again draws some inspiration from screwball comedies, as the bi-sexual open relationship between main characters Dark Smith (James Duval) and Mel (Rachel True) is dominated by the female presence and a challenge to the male. And, although Araki does at times attempt some serious themes such as escapism, love and even rape, he interludes this with his love of the visual and downright silly. The sets are nothing short of dramaturgical and a triumph against his slightly modest budget. The finishing scene summarises the movie well, an intimate moment between Smith and love interest Montgomery (Nathan Bexton) that is destroyed by a talking alien submerging from Monty’s exploded corpse.

The plot is actually not overcomplicated, as it surveys different groups of LA high schoolers for the day until the climatic scenes set at a local house party. Every now and again Araki drops in a short interlude of small but undeniably amusing sidetracks from some surprisingly significant stars, including Heather Graham, Ryan Phillipe, Mena Suvari, Denise Richards, and Rose McGowen. All their roles, although fleeting, contribute to the surreal and transitory world Araki paints.

There is certainly never an overcast moment, although you might be left feeling nearly as confused as the characters themselves. Regardless, everything from the 20s inspirations, the b-movie violence and the ragged and juvenile dialogue, keep it true to Araki’s unique style.

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