November Criminals (2017)

After his friend is murdered, a Washington, D.C. teenager undertakes his own investigation of the crime.

Director:

Sacha Gervasi

Writers:

Steven Knight (screenplay by), Sacha Gervasi (screenplay by)

Stars:

Ansel Elgort, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Strathairn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ansel Elgort	...	Addison
Chloë Grace Moretz	...	Phoebe
David Strathairn	...	Theo
Catherine Keener	...	Fiona
Terry Kinney	...	Principal Karlstadt
Cory Hardrict	...	D. Cash
Philip Ettinger	...	Mike Lorriner
Danny Flaherty	...	Noel
Victor Williams	...	Mr. Broadus
Opal Alladin	...	Mrs. Broadus
Tessa Albertson	...	Alex Faustner
Adrian M. Mompoint	...	Bo (as Adrian Mompoint)
Karina Deyko	...	Sarah
Jared Kemp	...	Kevin
Samuel Ray Gates	...	Detective Thompson

Storyline

18-year-old Addison Schacht, a Jewish high-school senior in Washington D.C., responds to the essay question, "What are your best and worst qualities?". He explains he has only bad qualities, as illustrated by the events of his senior year. They include collecting offensive jokes; dealing drugs to his classmates; and insulting teachers, fellow students, and his girlfriend's mother. But his classmate is killed, and he begins to investigate the death.

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Plot Keywords:

amateur sleuth | murder of a teenager | murder of a teenage boy | high school senior | high school | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content including teen sexuality, drug material, brief violence and strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los criminales de noviembre

Filming Locations:

Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Bicycle Entertainment,Lotus Entertainment (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Steven Knight was previously attached to direct.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Addison Schacht: [as home movie plays] My mother died six months ago today. At the hospital, they told us she'd had an aneurysm. There was nothing I could do for her. I guess I've gotten pretty good at pretending to be okay.

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Soundtracks

The Parting
Inspired by "Alexandra Masbou" written by Sacha Gervasi & David Norland 1987

User Reviews

Moretz and Elgort shine in a very fine movie

I really liked 'November Criminals'. There were certain scenes that blew me away how well they were crafted and how impactful they managed to be. The film's strongest quality is undoubtedly the chemistry between its two leads. Chloë Grace Moretz and Ansel Elgort were an absolute pleasure to watch. In fact they were so good I remember thinking to myself at one point that these two must be together in real life because they are just so good together.

It's very clear that this was based on a novel. I didn't know that for sure while watching but I was almost certain, and sure enough turned out to be right. It just has that feel about it. I find that movies based on a novel often have grittier characters who have been through a lot more trauma in their life than characters in screenplays written directly for the screen.

The characters are great, the cast is outstanding and the story is interesting, well paced and though-provoking. It really is hard to find fault with this movie. An already short run time absolutely flies by before you know it. I would thoroughly recommend giving 'November Criminals' a watch.