Skate Kitchen (2018)

A teenaged skateboarder makes friends with a bunch of other skateboarding girls in New York City.

Director:

Crystal Moselle

Writers:

Crystal Moselle (story), Crystal Moselle

Stars:

Kabrina Adams, Emmanuel Barco, Tom Bruno

3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Kabrina Adams	...	Ruby
Emmanuel Barco	...	Henry Barco
Tom Bruno	...	Italian Vendor
Alexander Cooper	...	Charlie
Thaddeus Daniels	...	Security Guard #2
Kobi Frumer	...	Skater Boy 2
Taylor Gray	...	Jared
Nico Hiraga	...	Patrick
Alexandra Imgruth	...	Fashion Woman 2
Judah Lang	...	Dusty
Brenn Lorenzo	...	Quinn
Jules Lorenzo	...	Eliza
Ardelia Lovelace	...	Janay
Nina Moran	...	Kurt
Malachi Omega	...	Isaiah

Storyline

Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New York City subculture, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship as well as her inner self.Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New York City subculture, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship as well as her inner self.

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Plot Keywords:

mother daughter relationship | title directed by female | skateboarding | platonic relationship | homelessness | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use and language throughout, strong sexual content, and some nudity – all involving teens

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 August 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Crystal Moselle Film

Filming Locations:

Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,065, 12 August 2018

Gross USA:

$236,799

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$287,307

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bow and Arrow Entertainment, Pulse Films, RT Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Crystal Moselle first saw two members of Skate Kitchen whilst riding the train. It was here that she approached them to star in a short film with Italian fashion label 'Miu Miu'. After the success of that short, she decided to pursue a feature film starring them.

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Quotes

Kurt: Your mother's a whore!

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Connections

References Kids (1995)

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Soundtracks

Move Your Feet
Written by Jesper Mortensen
Performed by Junior Senior

User Reviews

Valid as Heck

2018 is turning out to be a great year for skateboarding films. Bing Liu's "Minding the Gap" was an unrelentingly honest take on the violent family situations that often surround young skateboarders (everyone should see it!), Jonah Hill's directorial debut "Mid90's" looks like it'll be kickass, and now we have Crystal Moselle's "Skate Kitchen", which is an energetic and funny story about a group of real-life skateboarding crew of girls in NYC. This film felt like a semi-documentary, as all of the girls in the film appear to be playing themselves, recreating moments that have been posted on their active social media accounts. Living in NYC myself, it was refreshing to see a film that didn't use the typical aerial establishing shot of the city every time the scene changed. Everything related to the setting felt grounded rather than self-indulgent, as if the director was set on creating a mood that felt like a valid New York experience. Riding the subway, dealing with random catcallers, and dodging the incessant traffic of the streets, it all feels authentic. However, while the mood and visuals of the film remain consistently great, the story beats are unfortunately not as strong. The two big emotional conflicts in the film are essentially solved off-screen, and it feels like a missed opportunity to flesh out the awesome theme of positive relationships between women. It could be said that the director was making a point about how the struggles of our youth are often blown out of proportion and easily solved, but in practice it sometimes messed with the flow of the movie, at least for me. Basically, it was somewhat distracting to have the emotional plotline simmering in the background of a movie that was otherwise wildly fun, only for it to be solved with minimal effort. However, where the drama aspect of the movie falls short, that actual friendship and chemistry between the girls of the movie is so on point, it's basically worth the price of admission. The skate crew jokes around about things that are exclusive to women, has fun messing around in skate parks, and overall are just entertaining to be around. "Skate Kitchen" was a fun ride that felt progressive as a non-exploitative celebration of female friendships, and I wish there were more films like it.

Also Jaden Smith is in this movie and acts exactly how you'd expect him to act. I can't stress how fun/funny this movie is. If you can deal with a lack of dramatic payoff and you like to have fun, go see this movie.