Loser - Friday 2nd August 2024

I remember when this film came out, and also how it flopped! It tried to capitalise on the success of its stars from other teen movies, and combined with writer/director Amy Heckerling (of Clueless fame), it had all the ingredients for a genre classic. As we all know, however, making movies ain’t an exact science!

So is it any good? I liked the period. That whole late 90’s / early 2000s period hit me in the feels, but the film was shiiiiiit! Film's about losers have to show them having a heroic trait, a backbone. They can't be a doormat for 90% of the film, and have us rooting for their success!
And that’s the mistake this film makes; the loser is a fcuking loser! Being a victim doesn’t make you likeable, not unless it crafts you into a better person. Similarly, “the girl” isn’t likeable either. There’s no real arc; you just watch these two characters in various situations until they finally (spoiler) end up together.
Shame really. A good teen film, set in the early 2000s is something I’d really like to see, but this film definitely ain’t it, despite the nostalgia hit.