I Like Movies: 90s-Era Coming of Age Comedy Captures Cringeworthy Youth

By John Kirk

Rating: B

I Like Movies, the debut film from Toronto’s Chandler Levack, is an affirmation of our youths, and the cringeworthy moments we remember.

It’s 1990s Burlington and video rental stores are still a viable enterprise. We meet Lawrence Kweller (Isaiah Lehtinen), an aspiring young filmmaker whose world revolves around two things: getting into film school at NYU and making sure he gets his own way.

Lawrence is irritating, selfish, and socially inept, but he comes by it honestly with the tragic backstory of his father’s suicide. He gets a lot of forgiveness and support from his devoted mother, played by Krista Bridges. Still, there are moments of great empathy when the audience sees a reflection of themselves in Lawrence.

In the pursuit of his goals, Lawrence sacrifices a lot: friendships, self-esteem, and even risks the relationship with his mother. Overly emotional, Lawrence’s refusal to give consideration to those closest to him also jeopardizes his own best interests.

I Like Movies is about self-discovery in a setting that is common to our own shared experiences. Growing up has its challenges, particularly in that last year of high school when the impending onrush of adulthood lurks around the corner. It’s hard for youth to think about others while being pressured into adulthood. We’ve all been there.

Read our interview with I Like Movie’s director and cast

But Lawrence has friends who don’t give up on him and eventually, despite his indifference to their own problems, he manages to awkwardly make connections. He gets guidance from his boss Alana at the Sequels video rental store and forms an odd friendship with her. With a bit of hard love, he manages to learn from her how to think about others as he reluctantly enters into the next stage of his life.

Undeniably the best performance in this film, Romina D’Ugo’s Alana manages to persuade the audience to forgive Lawrence. Even when newcomer Lehtinen’s own performance seems somewhat forced and the situations difficult to accept, D’Ugo’s talent shines and carries her joint appearances with Lehtinen. Alana is the character in the story from which the film derives its authenticity.

It’s very easy to forgive this film for what it lacks, such as being shot on a minimal budget at dull locations. Some of the performances seem amateurish at times but because the story is one that has a universal appeal, they are overlooked in light of how relatable the whole concept is.

At some point in life, any viewer watching this film can understand what Lawrence is experiencing, whether it’s petty jealousy, anxiety attacks or even simply butting heads against his mother. Being a teenager is difficult and it’s an unwelcome time to remember. These shortcomings actually serve to emphasize the story and oddly enough, work to endear the characters to the audience.

I Like Movies. Directed by Chandler Levack. Starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, and Krista Bridges. In theatres March 10.