DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. This Day and Age remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a fever dream from a different century, sure. It’s for anyone who wants to see 1930s teenagers acting like they are in a noir film. If you need logic or realistic police procedures, you’re gonna hate it. Like, really hate it.
There is this moment near the start where the kids just decide the system is broken. It happens so fast. No paperwork, no meetings, just teenage rage and a plan. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Studenterkammeraterne, though with way more fedoras and threats.
Charles Bickford as the mob boss? Man, he’s menacing in a way that feels heavy. He doesn't need to yell. He just sits there looking bored while everyone else is running around being dramatic. That’s a pro move.
The pacing is all over the place. One minute they are at a school dance or whatever, the next they are torturing a guy to get information. It’s wild. It’s also kinda uncomfortable how much the movie supports their vigilante crusade. It doesn’t blink. It just goes, "Yeah, kids with guns and blackmail, that’s the solution."
The scene in the basement with the rats? I don’t know if that was supposed to be terrifying or just gross. It definitely stuck with me longer than the actual plot did. 🐀
I couldn't help but compare the group dynamic to the stuff you see in The Last Crusade, but way less adventuring and way more kidnapping. It’s a very weird tonal shift that keeps you guessing if the director knew what kind of movie they were making.
It’s not perfect. It’s barely even coherent sometimes. But it’s got this weird bite to it that I kinda respect. You don't see movies like this anymore. Probably for the best. Still, a fun watch if you've got a rainy afternoon and some popcorn.