Super Dark Times

[Super Dark Times] is an impressive piece of work that deserves to be seen. And if it takes the hype around something more mainstream to draw attention to its existence, well, stranger things have happened.

I wasn't as impressed with the film as some of my fellow audience members, but Kevin Phillips, transitioning from music videos to feature films and from cinematography to directing, has an undeniable eye.

An effective thriller, anchored by great performances and a strong visual language for a debut film.

Both a thriller and meditation on the loss of innocence, Super Dark Times is rich with the minutiae of a bygone era ... but Phillips and screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski press hard against the instinct for nostalgia.

[Kevin] Phillips kind of stumbles when he tries for a pat wrap-up of a still-horrific problem. But when he digs into the muck of the rot at the heart of it, he comes up with some unforgettable moments.

... there is a refreshing candor to this film that's wonderful.

The beauty of Super Dark Times can be found in its caring and sensitive vision for the characters’ world.

The realism in this film is more than any other film that's been on this list. It's true and it's sad and it's... heartbreaking but it doesn't make much sense unfortunately.

Super Dark Times goes from being a thriller to being a meditation on adolescent violence and toxic behaviors. [Full Review in Spanish]

It is a film in which every aspect has been given noteworthy attention, and the end-result just clicks and feels right.