[yasr_overall_rating]
Caught between a forbidden romance and the expectations of his friends, aspiring DJ Cole Carter attempts to find the path in life that leads to fame and fortune.
In his directorial debut, Max Joseph, most known for co-hosting MTV’s “Catfish,” gives us an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) bro-mance, that is less bro-mance and more the typical coming of age rags to riches story that most millennials can identify with even if they don’t give a damn about EDM. Although skeptical about seeing a film with Zac Efron as the lead (I cannot shake the trauma that was “High School Musical”), I was surprised enough by his performance, though still trying to shake off his pretty-boy image that may follow him for a few more years still, there is untapped talent lurking within.
We are introduced to a lackluster Entourage-esque group of friends, Cole (Zac Efron), Mason (Jonny Weston), Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez) and Squirrel (Alex Shaffer), whose thinly veiled bro-mance is filled with aggression, silence, and drug-fueled partying. Each of which have goals of making their way to something bigger than the long stretch of the San Fernando Valley. There is void present, an emptiness that is ever expanding in the millennial generation, an aimlessness, a death that is eerily represented by the haziness and oppressive atmosphere of California, a wasteland of phantom dreams chased and never fulfilled.
Cole, with the backdrop of his friends who fancy themselves as promoters, is the only one driven enough to pursue his dreams as a D.J. and opportunity presents itself on the night he meets successful and worldly D.J. James Reed (Wes Bentley). Reed, a semi-washed up alcoholic, mentors Cole, and helps stir the natural talent within him to create that one track that could lead to his first taste of success. With a few run-ins with lust, death, and betrayal, Cole presents his track, organic and pseudo-philosophical, at a festival on par with the intensity of a spring break.
Max Joseph’s “We Are Your Friends,” entraps a microcosm of this generation’s disillusionment, whether or not it intended to do so. It is a commendable directorial debut even if it is riddled with flaws. The narrative overall is predictable and basic and hinders the actors from reaching their full potential. Emily Ratajkowski’s character Sophie, in particular doesn’t go beyond the pretty girl that causes mild disruption between mentor and mentee. Her aloof quality may translate to bad acting but I believe the writing is to blame. And it also may be the case for Efron, as it’s hard to be convinced that he desires to be a D.J. when every time we see him working on a track or actually DJing he looks pained. To be honest, there may have been a better story in the character of James Reed.
Although the narrative is lacking a bit, there are many scenes in the film worthy of praise, including a PCP induced trip at an art gallery where the paintings come alive and envelope its patrons in animation. It’s moments like those that keep you hanging on for more, and whether or not it delivers a full climax is questionable, but “We Are Your Friends” is definitely worth a watch, if only to revive you of your summertime blues.
In theaters now
