Freshman Year Directed by Trey Edward Shults; Netflix; March 2020
Film Shorts
FRESHMAN YEAR:
I happen to watch these two movies -- Waves and Freshman Year -- on consecutive days. They happen to have a major plot line in common though they treat it differently. They also have a similar family structure for the main male characters and feature inter-cultural / racial romances. That is where the similarities end and why I am separating the reviews, while recommending you watch the two films back-to-back.
Freshman Year presented an accurate portrait of the first year college experience. The movie had many chances to go wrong but it made all the right turns, which sort of surprised me. Freshman Year is a Christian faith-based film and as such, there are only specific answers to the problems characters face. Even with this constraint, the story moved at a great pace and made you cheer for all the characters, including minor ones.
The film does have its shortcomings, in that it is very linear and the stakes are not high artistically nor symbolically. Yet, it is the type of film to promote to younger people in your life.
Recommendation: MEDIUM
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Reviewed by Guichard Cadet
FRESHMAN YEAR:
I happen to watch these two movies -- Waves and Freshman Year -- on consecutive days. They happen to have a major plot line in common though they treat it differently. They also have a similar family structure for the main male characters and feature inter-cultural / racial romances. That is where the similarities end and why I am separating the reviews, while recommending you watch the two films back-to-back.
Freshman Year presented an accurate portrait of the first year college experience. The movie had many chances to go wrong but it made all the right turns, which sort of surprised me. Freshman Year is a Christian faith-based film and as such, there are only specific answers to the problems characters face. Even with this constraint, the story moved at a great pace and made you cheer for all the characters, including minor ones.
The film does have its shortcomings, in that it is very linear and the stakes are not high artistically nor symbolically. Yet, it is the type of film to promote to younger people in your life.
Recommendation: MEDIUM
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Reviewed by Guichard Cadet
