Dazed and Confused (1993) Review

 

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Dazed and Confused follows a group of high school seniors who are looking to get high, party, and terrorize the new crop underclassmen as school lets out for the summer. 

I can’t speak for how evident this was back in the day but watching Dazed and Confused now...man, it just feels like this movie was specifically made to be a cult classic. It’s got a killer cast, nails that mid-70s vibe, and captures (rather stereotypically) those nice coming of age themes that are always present with teens as they transition into adulthood. What is particularly refreshing it that is doesn’t have some deeper message to tell us. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s simply a, likely somewhat autobiographical, take on teens driving around looking for some fun on the last day of school. 

What the movie does so well, is it takes the same concepts of American Graffiti, and jumps a decade, taking all of the tragedy, success, and darkness of the time that has passed and crafts it into the perfect little teen exploration flick. This is an American Graffiti post-JFK, Vietnam, and without all the purity (and in it’s place, lots of pot). It strikes a great balance between loss of innocence and an innocence long gone for a group of emerging and departing teens.

Topping all of that off is a phenomenal soundtrack that is literally just hit after hit after hit. Set in the height of the 70s, I expected a good soundtrack but man, every single scene hits us with a classic oldie from the likes of Aerosmith, Foghat, Alice Cooper, KISS, Sabbath, and Skynard, just to name a few. 

The film boasts an insane cast of eventual stars in Ben Affleck, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Wiley Wiggins, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Houser, Rory Cochrane, Sasha Jenson, Matthew McConaughey, and Jason London (not to be mistake for his twin, Jeremy). What is most astounding is just how much characterization is given to SO MANY characters, especially the seniors like Affleck, Houser, and Jenson. McConaughey is absolutely dynamite in this too, playing that weird older guy who hits on the high schoolers (we all know that guy) way too well. 

Dazed and Confused, directed by Richard Linklater, is a free, easygoing documentary like jump back in time to the 70s that emphasizes it’s characters growth and adventures over a story driven plot, acting more as a little slice of time where we just get to experience one wild night in the lives of some kids who just wanna party. 

9.5/10