Screenwriters just think 'teenage protagonist' + 'teenage issues' = story. Rarely do they ask 'why teens specifically?' Teenagers have a blinkered outlook. There is also raging hormones, an irrepressible impulse to do certain more grown-up things, the opposite sex's insidious physical maturation, the confusing conflict between libidinal energy and romantic love, and the pressures of school and parents. You can't blame grown-ups for forgetting all this. Teens aren't just immature adults - they're people who are dealing with a lot of things for the first time. And at the same time. It is as much an irony that they live such a blinkered existence at a time they could really do with vision and foresight, as it is that Romeo and Juliet committed suicide. Here, we have a laser focus on teen angst. Several Ways to Die Trying is a film that is mostly dialogue. It is a real dynamic between the two characters, who we stick with like glue. It is a sweet, heartfelt tale. They're both performed well, too - especially for the production's small scale.

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