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4.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Reckless Decision remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, unless you are a die-hard completist of 1920s domestic dramas, you might find this one a bit of a slog. It’s for the folks who love silent-era costume details and that specific brand of moral panic that only old movies can deliver. If you hate slow pacing or characters who spend half the film looking scandalized by a saxophone, stay far away.
The whole thing feels like a stern lecture delivered by your great-grandparents. You have these parents running around in a panic because their daughter is showing interest in the, *ahem*, 'wild' side of the Jazz Age. The way they talk about dancing, you’d think it was a gateway drug to complete social collapse.
There is a moment early on where the father stares at a phonograph like it’s a ticking bomb. It’s hilariously dramatic. He’s got this intense look on his face, like he’s trying to solve a complex math equation, but he’s just listening to someone play the trumpet. 🎷
The pacing is… well, it’s a choice. Sometimes it feels like the camera is just waiting for the actors to remember their blocking. It lacks the punch you might see in something like The Moth of Moonbi, which somehow made its melodrama feel a bit more grounded.
It’s not trying to be a masterpiece, and it definitely isn't one. It’s just a time capsule of people being absolutely terrified that the world is becoming too loud. If you’ve ever watched Run, Girl, Run, you’ll recognize that same, slightly frantic energy about 'modern' youth.
The movie gets slightly better when the parents finally stop talking and something actually happens, though that takes a while. It’s not quite as charming as The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, but it’s an interesting look at the era’s anxieties. Just don’t expect to be on the edge of your seat unless you are genuinely worried about the fate of a 1920s living room.
