Interesting study of young punks in 1980s Salt Lake City, Utah. Matthew Lillard is perfectly cast as Stevo, the blue-haired punk/law student who believes in anarchy. Supported by Michael Goorjian (as his pal, Heroin Bob), Annabeth Gish (as Bob's bohemian girlfriend, Trish), and German actor Til Schweiger (the funny, drug-dealing sadist, Mark), Stevo attempts to live a listless life whenever possible. Writer-director James Merendino shows some promise in several scenes, especially in Stevo's "slideshow" on the various groups inhabiting Salt Lake City, in the "acid-dropping" scene in the park (with the beautiful Jennifer Lien as the very gothic Sandy), and in Stevo's narrative. The story itself, though, could've been better, but the visuals of Salt Lake City actually make the city look beautiful, in contrast to Stevo's wasteful existence. And Stevo's emotional breakdown near the end shows what great acting Matthew Lillard is capable of.
Review of SLC Punk!
