Watch Over the Edge

This movie is a gritty and raw look at teenage rebellion and angst, set in a desolate suburb of Colorado. Over the Edge, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, was released in 1979 and stars Matt Dillon, Michael Eric Kramer, and Pamela Ludwig. The film follows a group of disaffected teenagers who are bored with their lives in a seemingly picture-perfect community.

The film begins with the arrival of the new families in the community. The teens in the community feel ignored and ostracized by the adults, who are more interested in building new homes than they are in spending quality time with their children. The teens are left to their own devices and they begin to cause trouble around the town.

Carl (Michael Eric Kramer), a local teen, is the ringleader of the group of teens. He is charismatic and rebellious, and he encourages his friends to push the boundaries of their lives. His best friend, Richie (Matt Dillon), is a quiet boy who is more introspective than the other kids. Richie is the son of a mechanic who takes pride in his work but doesn't understand his son. Richie's parents fight constantly and he feels lost and disconnected.

The teens in the town feel desperate and trapped, leading to rebel against the system. They start to smoke, drink, skip school, and spray graffiti around the town. They steal cars and cause havoc on the streets. However, they face the consequences of their actions as the police start to put a curfew in place and the school administrators suspend them from school.

In response, the teens decide to take matters into their own hands by arming themselves and staging a protest against the system they perceive is oppressing them. The protest quickly spirals out of control, leaving the town in chaos and leading to a violent confrontation between the teenagers and the adults.

This film is a harsh critique of American suburban life and the disillusionment of the youth in that context. The teenagers in this movie feel abandoned by adults who are uninterested in their lives, leaving them with no guidance and no one to turn to. The film's portrayal of the violence and frustration of this generation is striking, and it speaks to a broader sense of unease in American society.

Matt Dillon gives a standout performance in this early role, playing the role of a teenager who is struggling to find himself in the midst of chaos. His performance is nuanced and understated, and he brings a vulnerability to the character that is both heartbreaking and relatable.

Overall, Over the Edge is a powerful and provocative film that is still relevant today. It is a complex portrait of teenage rebellion and the social conditions that lead to it. The film speaks to a larger cultural malaise and a generation's sense of disillusionment, both of which continue to resonate today.

Over the Edge is a 1979 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 67.