Psycho-absurdism: A fresh and timely new sub-genre.

By Jack Harris

What this author has labelled ‘psycho-absurdism’ is a new and strikingly refreshing new sub- genre of film. It comes from the original coming of age film that we are all well acquainted with. Of course, the idea of watching teenagers navigate their lives as they grow into somewhat competent young adults is not a new one. We’ve seen it for decades even as far back as 1955 with the icon solidifying film Rebel Without A Cause. However, the genre has evolved over the last six decades with a very wide spectrum of success. We’ve been blessed with the battle cry of a generation in ‘Superbad’, cult classics like The Breakfast Club and have had critics favourite’s in ‘Booksmart’ and The Edge of Seventeen. Of course, Hollywood always loves to disappoint us and for every Stand by Me there will unfortunately be a Crossover.

In recent times a new sub-genre is now emerging amongst all the horny teens in movies trying to find their path in life. Rather than simply following the love lives and trials of overcoming bullies in school, these films do something different with the teenage experience. They take an absolutely absurd premise like in Looks That Kill (where a young man is lethally attractive and if anyone sees his face, they instantly die) and use it to examine the mental health issues which now plague modern teenagers. It’s a fascinating and subtle emergence that allows the directors to take the most ludicrous idea and ground it in starkly relatable realism. While the plots of psycho-absurd films are often not even remotely comparable, films such as Spontaneous, Looks That Kill, Dr Bird’s Advice to Young Poets, and Words on Bathroom Walls share a lot of characteristics, not just the fact that they often star Taylor Russell or Charlie Plummer or both.

The Evolution Of The Coming Of Age Film.

Since the beginning of time, we have asked ourselves ‘Who are we?’ and Hollywood kindly offered an answer in the form of coming-of-age films. Possibly starting it all and reminding us all how talented James Dean was, is A Rebel Without A Cause. This is the perfect showcase of teenage angst and dissatisfaction with life. What became a mantra for millions of teenagers over decades and, had many men thinking they too could pull off a red leather jacket, lead to a decade’s long examination of the teenage struggle. The film gave a voice to a generation of people who felt no one ever listened to them and showed them that they were not alone in their disillusionment of the world. It gave teenagers someone to believe in and a face to put on their struggle. It set the standard of what a coming-of-age film should be, and that standard was high.

Fast forward to 1971 and the genre takes a turn to the sexual with Peter Bogdanovich’s undisputed classic The Last Picture Show. Not only did it come at a time where America was changing and teenagers started to refuse the smalltown mentality and begin wanting to chase bigger and better things outside of where they grew up, it also tackled the sexual curiosity that was gripping the youth. The film is relatable to any young audience that watches it and sees themselves in the three Texan teens. It also perfectly serves itself up as a heart-breaking cautionary tale of what happens to dreams that are lost, thanks in large part to the late Cloris Leachman’s scene stealing performance.

The nineties and early 2000’s saw the genre take on a more comedic and life affirming approach in films like Dazed and Confused and Superbad. Diverging slightly, filmmakers came out with films like Mean Girls and Easy A and completely lost the run of themselves in Project X and 21 and Over. Yet as enjoyable as these films are, it still feels like something is missing. How many more times we must watch people battle the stereotypical tropes and characters of high school?

Enter The Spectacular Now and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Both are masterpieces where the former deals with teens using alcohol as a means of escape and the journey of finding a lost parent to discover they don’t want you. The latter deals, with suicide, depression, and child abuse. Rather than choosing to ignore the more complicated elements of teens lives, they incorporated them into the story to make more fleshed out characters and a more emotionally holistic film. Thanks to films like these, the Psycho-Absurdist films begin to take shape.

By taking the comedic and joke centred approach of the early 2000’s and mixing it with genuine emotional examination, filmmakers like Thor Freudenthal (Words on Bathroom Walls) and Brian Duffield (Spontaneous) contributed to forming this new sub-genre. Instead of using the teenage context to examine the problems associated with school, they used it to take a more isolated approach where school life is secondary, and the mental state of the students takes centre stage. This would be impossible to do without some release and so the absurd plot takes that responsibility. It is a bold choice and is one that needs to be done carefully in order not to undermine or belittle the characters issues.

Examples of Psycho-Absurdist films.

Words On Bathroom Walls (2020)

Starting with a hidden gem of 2020, Words on Bathroom Walls stars Charlie Plummer as a teenager diagnosed with schizophrenia in high school and his internal battle to keep it a secret from his peers and not let it control his life. While the plot itself is not absurd, the bizarre nature of the films comes from 3 imaginary personifications of his illness that follow him around. Laden with strong performances and impressive visual effects, this film is not at all subtle in its attempts to highlight mental illness in teens. It poignantly shows the tension it causes between families and the fear and anxiety it causes the sufferer as they lose control of who they are. Through smart voice overs and sharp dialogue, it inserts comedy and breaks the tension regularly, yet we never for a minute are given a break from the struggle of our main character Adam (Plummer). Afterwards the viewer is left with a better understanding of schizophrenia itself but also of how mental illness in general can affect our kids. It opens our eyes and brilliantly makes us deservedly more empathetic to those with an illness.

Spontaneous (2020)

Another gem of 2020 stars Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why) and Charlie Plummer (again) as teenagers living in a seemingly normal world, until one day a classmate explodes in class and kids continue to do so over the coming months without explanation or reason. It is a not-so-subtle metaphor for the horrific school shootings that are rampant in modern day America. It deals with the usual themes of first love to undercut the more serious elements as it tackles darker topics of loss and fear. It examines the uncertainty many students face going to school every day as to whether or not they will come home. It brilliantly shows us the lives of those left behind when the people we love are spontaneously taken from us without reason or logic.

Looks that Kill (2020)

Probably the most bizarre plot of the sub-genre so far and maybe the best executed, is this film from Kellen Moore. It stars Brandon Flynn and Julia Goldani Telles as a boy who has a lethally attractive face and a girl with a heart that grows when she feels emotion, who strike up a friendship. Centring around Max (Flynn) as he battles life without letting anyone see his face, subsequently becoming hated and ostracised from everyone else because he accidentally kills half the town, is a well masked story about anxiety, depression and insecurity. The film explores how human connection can help us overcome our mental challenges, not solve them but help to deal with at least. It’s a story about turning what the world says is the worst parts of ourselves into strengths. In one of the funniest scripts of the year, with brilliant side characters dealing with their own issues, Looks That Kill shows us the importance in self-belief and how often the world sees the problems of individuals as preposterous, even though they are giant obstacles to each person.

What to look out for in this sub-genre.

Three-Dimensional side characters.

Often in coming-of-age films, the side characters of parents or school acquaintances are lacking depth and are only present to facilitate comedy or confrontation. This sub-genre puts an emphasis on presenting the kid’s parents as real people. In all the aforementioned examples, the films give service to developing the relationship they have with their kids and also with each other. In Words on Bathroom Walls, we see a heartbroken mother who is stricken with daily grief and obsession to find a cure for her son.

In Looks That Kill we hilariously see a set of parents that use their son’s condition to avoid their failing relationship and eventually gain inspiration from him to be brave, fight for, and recognise each other. In Dr Birds Advice for Sad Poets, we are presented with a supposedly horrible father who gave up his own dreams to make his wife happy and yet takes the blame when she still winds up disappointed in the choices she made. These films treat these characters as Three-Dimensional people with hopes and dreams of their own and helping the main character to better understand the world around them. We don’t see this in (an undeniable great film) like ‘Booksmart’ or other classic coming of age films because often the conflict comes from the overall schooling experience, rather than their personal lives and metal health being in turmoil. In the absurd and often chaotic world the kids of these films live in, having fleshed out parents facilitates the grounding of the characters in reality and better tackling of their issues.

Quick Cutting and Fourth Wall Breaking.

A popular choice in these films is for the director to channel their inner Edgar Wright and cut very quickly between scenes. Its jarring and moves the story along at a brisk pace. This usually can be seen when the characters are breaking the fourth wall or having some type of inner-monologue. This is done as there is often a lot happening simultaneously in the mind of people like these and by cutting quickly and giving us a soliloquy, it shows the intensity in their thoughts.

Films Made By Film Lovers.

In what will please anyone who enjoys seeing a film pay homage to what came before, the films of this genre have obvious moments of hat tipping to past films. Whether it’s a case in Dr Bird where for an extended period we are transported to a neo-noir detective film starring our main characters or whether it’s as simple as a main character being a film buff and constantly using irreverent movie quotes in everyday conversation. Either way, it’s easy to tell that the minds behind these films, grew up as cinema lovers and want their viewers to know that.

Why is this sub-genre important?

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 20% of teenagers experience mental health conditions and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death amongst teenagers. With the prevalence of such illness in our youth and the devastating effects it can have on lives, it seems more appropriate than ever to shine a light on these issues in an approachable and relatable way. It will serve great benefit to remove the stigma about these illnesses by having more and more films that carefully approach the subject and hopefully encourage people to understand and start conversations around mental illnesses.

While the older, classic coming of age films, seem like a distant cousin to the new sub-genre it is important to remember the lessons taught in them also and maybe none more important than the immortal words of Wooderson in Dazed and Confused…

‘Just keep livin man’.