4K/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Reviews

Blu-ray Review: “Mallrats” Updates A Cult Classic Into A Male Sex-Driven Fantasy Outdated By Its Lack Of Perspective And Nuance


 

Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall.

Coming back onto Blu-ray with extended shots and updated 4K quality, “Mallrats” can easily be categorized as a film intended to bring audiences on a trip of nostalgia for its cult classic reputation. However, its capacity as a film with a more modern context only goes to show how outdated and outlandish certain plot elements and screen take dialogues were. It is clear to see that “Mallrats” thrived on a time when films were less oriented on telling a story than it was on delivering a fantasy.

“Mallrats” carries over classic stereotypes of nerds, beautiful female love interests, jocks, and the underdogs – all of which are found in their high school depicting setting. Instead of fulfilling these stereotypical roles, “Mallrats” delivers a backward twist, elevating the status of the nerds into living their fantasies of being with beautiful women and spending moments in the mall that resemble a B-grade comic book adventure.

TS Quint is played by Jeremy London and Brodie is played by Jason Lee, the two protagonists that suffer a breakup from their respective girlfriends and attempt to cope with their losses by finding adventure at the mall. Coincidentally, their exes are also seen meandering through, creating a perfect opportunity for the boys to win back their loves through angry elevator sex and hijacking a matchmaking TV show.

Lee plays Brodie with a sense of false gung-ho bravado that does not incite much sympathy and affection due to his 2-dimensional character portrayal. There is not much nuance to be had when a character’s personality is defined by his obsession with sex and Batman. On the other hand, London portrays Quint as a sensitive romantic, a sharp contrast to Brodie’s demeanor but nonetheless still a generic archetype.

In fact, all of the characters fit into a box of stereotypes with even more stereotypical behaviors and when paired with a wild goose chase around the mall to obtain their typical happy ending, the movie falls flat – unless it is played in the background of a coming-of-age film at a 12-year-old’s birthday party. What remains disappointing is that all the female characters are used akin to props that uphold a male-centered narrative instead of elevated on their own. Even Tricia, a 15-year-old girl interested in sex research and perhaps the most interesting out of all the female characters, is left to be grotesquely fetishized as a minor having illegal sex with older men or living a lesbian porno fantasy with other women.

Besides using outdated plot formulas and being a hormonally male-driven fantasy, “Mallrats” carries a special inside look and extended edition on this two-disc special. While the film will struggle to resonate with newer viewers, it can easily become a collectible for those that grew up appreciating films with edgy and crass humor.

 

Now available on a Special Limited Edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video

 

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Guy F Worley
Guy F Worley
3 years ago

Great coming of age movie. KUDOA

Dianne Chung

Dianne is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. She has a passion for writing, graduating with a minor in Journalism with the hopes of bridging the gap of knowledge and communication between healthcare professionals and the general public. Dianne's experience in writing ranges from publishing various articles in the Berkeley Student Journal of Asian Studies, contributing literature reviews to her public health publications, and posting on her blog detailing the struggles in living with the intersectionality of her identity. She is excited to come on board the Irish Film Critic crew to continue polishing her writing techniques while enjoying movies in pop culture to make sure she doesn't fall behind in the ability to small talk with strangers.