“Araki serves angst, pure and true.”—Jasmyne Keimig, The Stranger
Like a Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid, Nowhere follows an interwoven network of libidinous teens as they hurtle through youthful doubt and insecurity, the highs and lows of adolescent love, S&M, hallucinogenics, carjackings, murder, and alien abductions. Saturated with color, and in love with pop culture, Nowhere portrays the 18-year-old experience in the late 20th century with a distinctly subjective style that calls to mind the heyday of John Hughes teen angst epics like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
Nowhere completes the film cycle that Araki began with 1994's Totally F***ed Up, a realistic, bracing picture of a close-knit group of gay and lesbian teens that was named as one of the year's 10 best films by the Los Angeles Times. Now, with Nowhere, Araki concludes the trilogy with what is arguably his most accessible film to date: a multi-racial, pan-sexual, wild, and woolly ensemble piece about adolescent turmoil and the eternal quest for love. 1997, U.S., 4k DCP, 82 minutes. Rated R.