Archie's Final Project is more than a movie about a young 17-year-old boy planning to kill himself on camera. It is about self-discovery and the intangible value of human emotion everybody possesses. The dialogue is straightforward and blunt while the screenplay paints a comedic picture to shadow the dark and disturbing undertones. It is highly cliched with the plot centering on how Archie wants to lose his virginity, feels misunderstood by his parents, and fantasizes about the most popular girl in school. While at some points it does get repetitive and might not seem original the progression of the story pulls this film together perfectly. The first half of the movie has a hard time expressing emotion, often sounding monotone with more to be desired in the scriptwriting. However, as each main character develops and climaxes it is clear what the intentions were behind filmmaker David Lee Miller. The movie was designed to progress slowly, and while only having a 2-hour runtime the thorough design of each character puts your mind in a constant state of questioning what happens next and what each action's outcome will be.
Gabriel Sunday does an all-right job of displaying what his character is feeling. There are flashes in the first half of the film of his ability to convey raw emotion which pan out more directly in the second half. However, there are several scenes where Gabriel couldn't convey the attitude of a suicidal teenager just right. As previously said the first half of the movie can be seen as very boring as little character is presented and while we are supposed to feel the pain of Archie's character and understand why he wants to commit suicide, it ends up coming across as a dumb teen pulling a stunt for no real reason. The real issue is the first half of this movie because in the second half the character of Archie very much comes to life and I liked Gabriel's performance for the most part. While it is a slow-paced character development, there is slightly more to be desired. With that said the character arch itself is very well done. Archie becomes very unique and human nature shines through.
The supporting cast is undoubtedly this movie's biggest weakness. Archie's parents are acted out as if a real disgruntled 14-year-old teen wrote how he felt about his parents, but not in a good way. The social workers and teachers act as if the movie is a comedy. While the first half of the movie is supposed to be funny while being very dark it doesn't fit the plot. It is sloppy. It is unenjoyable. It is unrelatable. They do not seem like real people. The only other good character is Archie's love interest Sierra played by Brooke Nevin. Brooke, I feel fits Sierra much better than Gabriel fits Archie. She is beautiful, has perfect skin, acts with an apathetic demeanor when defending Archie from bullies, and most definitely fits the popular girl trope of not caring about other people's opinions. Her acting is flawless. You truly do become attached to her as a character and there is not one moment where she doesn't land her lines perfectly. You would never suspect she is the girl who is troubled just like Archie and does a way better job at showing how self-harm affects her mental state rather than Gabriel. 10/10 character and I wish the rest of the acting was this good.
Taking everything into account, this movie can be described as flawed, disinteresting, sometimes laughable, and boring. However, I believe for people who want a raw and uncensored view into the headspace of a teenager today and how human emotion impacts every aspect of every life then this is for you. I very much enjoyed this movie and while my attention span tested me throughout, the last 45 minutes are impeccable with few flaws. The idea of having the majority of the movie take place through the lens of Archie's camera was great. The lighting was perfect. Every scene was shot beautifully. The aesthetic was consistent. The only thing that brings this movie down is the poorly executed exposition. The rising actions put you in suspense. The climax makes your heart race. The character development is phenomenal. The ability to make your body go through a roller coaster of emotions while not always having the best tone is astounding. The plot is very straightforward. The writing is perplexing. The music score sets each mood perfectly. But most of all, the mood change from the first half to the second half is shot with perfection. I would recommend everybody watch this remarkable film at least once as it does a fantastic job of showing how suicide harms more than just yourself.
Plot: 7/10 Entertainment Value: 4/10 Depth: 9/10 Acting: 5/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Soundtrack: 10/10 Execution: 7/10 Overall: 7.1/10.
Gabriel Sunday does an all-right job of displaying what his character is feeling. There are flashes in the first half of the film of his ability to convey raw emotion which pan out more directly in the second half. However, there are several scenes where Gabriel couldn't convey the attitude of a suicidal teenager just right. As previously said the first half of the movie can be seen as very boring as little character is presented and while we are supposed to feel the pain of Archie's character and understand why he wants to commit suicide, it ends up coming across as a dumb teen pulling a stunt for no real reason. The real issue is the first half of this movie because in the second half the character of Archie very much comes to life and I liked Gabriel's performance for the most part. While it is a slow-paced character development, there is slightly more to be desired. With that said the character arch itself is very well done. Archie becomes very unique and human nature shines through.
The supporting cast is undoubtedly this movie's biggest weakness. Archie's parents are acted out as if a real disgruntled 14-year-old teen wrote how he felt about his parents, but not in a good way. The social workers and teachers act as if the movie is a comedy. While the first half of the movie is supposed to be funny while being very dark it doesn't fit the plot. It is sloppy. It is unenjoyable. It is unrelatable. They do not seem like real people. The only other good character is Archie's love interest Sierra played by Brooke Nevin. Brooke, I feel fits Sierra much better than Gabriel fits Archie. She is beautiful, has perfect skin, acts with an apathetic demeanor when defending Archie from bullies, and most definitely fits the popular girl trope of not caring about other people's opinions. Her acting is flawless. You truly do become attached to her as a character and there is not one moment where she doesn't land her lines perfectly. You would never suspect she is the girl who is troubled just like Archie and does a way better job at showing how self-harm affects her mental state rather than Gabriel. 10/10 character and I wish the rest of the acting was this good.
Taking everything into account, this movie can be described as flawed, disinteresting, sometimes laughable, and boring. However, I believe for people who want a raw and uncensored view into the headspace of a teenager today and how human emotion impacts every aspect of every life then this is for you. I very much enjoyed this movie and while my attention span tested me throughout, the last 45 minutes are impeccable with few flaws. The idea of having the majority of the movie take place through the lens of Archie's camera was great. The lighting was perfect. Every scene was shot beautifully. The aesthetic was consistent. The only thing that brings this movie down is the poorly executed exposition. The rising actions put you in suspense. The climax makes your heart race. The character development is phenomenal. The ability to make your body go through a roller coaster of emotions while not always having the best tone is astounding. The plot is very straightforward. The writing is perplexing. The music score sets each mood perfectly. But most of all, the mood change from the first half to the second half is shot with perfection. I would recommend everybody watch this remarkable film at least once as it does a fantastic job of showing how suicide harms more than just yourself.
Plot: 7/10 Entertainment Value: 4/10 Depth: 9/10 Acting: 5/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Soundtrack: 10/10 Execution: 7/10 Overall: 7.1/10.