The 4:30 Movie

In the wake of films such as Roma, The Fabelmans and Belfast, films that saw major filmmakers looking past nostalgia to their respective upbringings, writer/director/editor Kevin Smith has now made his own coming-of-age film largely based on his youth. While the days of teenagers spending all day at the movie theater, getting into trouble by sneaking into R-rated movies and pissing off adults, are much more few and far in between in the year 2024, Smith takes a look back at the mid-80’s, a simpler times of being a teenager, far before the emergence of social media. Smith’s latest film, shot on location at Smodcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, the very theater he spent much of his youth in before buying it out just a few years ago, is a coming-of-age comedy set in a single Summer day. Very much a laid back hangout movie, Smith’s newest film is a sweet, if slight, celebration of teenage youth and the communal bond of moviegoing.

Courtesy Saban Films

Brian (Austin Zajur) is a junior in high school, living in New Jersey in the summer of 1986. He spends his time hanging out with his two best friends, Burny (Nicholas Cirillo), a womanizing heartthrob and Belly (Reed Northrup), a geeky, avid wrestling fan. Together the three friends spend their Saturdays at the local theater, the Atlantic Cinema, sneaking into R-rated movies and watching whatever opens. Brian has just asked Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong), the girl of his dreams, out on a date to the 4:30 showing of “Bucklick”, an R-rated detective film. Melody agrees, but being 16 years-old, Brian is forced to strategize on sneaking in. When Brian and his friends arrive at the theater early to check out a different film, shenanigans ensue, causing the boys to be banned from the theater.

In what might be his most personal film since his debut feature, Clerks, writer/director Kevin Smith successfully harkens back to the nostalgic glow of the mid-80’s. The 4:30 Movie finds Smith in free-flowing, enjoyable slice-of-life mode, making the feature feel even closer narratively to his original breakthrough debut feature. Closer in tone to Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused compared to something like The Fabelmans, Smith centers the film around one single day that sees his leads getting caught up in endless conflicts and hijinks in what should be a seemingly easy day for them. Much of the humor stems from the many personalities the friends run into, with cameos from the likes of Justin Long, Sam Richardson, Kate Miccuci, Rosario Dawson, Rachel Dratch and more. Simple setups like finding ways to distract the theater ushers to get inside a restricted film or sneaking past the ego-maniacal theater manager (Ken Jeong) land with sizable laughs.

Courtesy Saban Films

While damning with faint praise, this is easily Smith’s most accomplished film from a technical standpoint since 2014’s Tusk, with more far more attention paid to framing and shot composition than any of his recent View Askew sequels. While Smith has never been a skilled visualist, he stages several scenes with effective blocking and tight editing that successfully tells a story between each character. The characters don’t simply feel like extensions of Smith’s notorious writing style and feel like natural teenagers. The romance between Zajur’s Brian and Agudong’s Melody is where the film feels most lively. Brian and Melody had an intimate encounter the summer prior, which lingers over Brian’s decision to finally ask her out. The opening scene, which follows Brian making the call to ask out his crush, works so well because we immediately feel the history between the two teens. It’s a charming introduction to a film that largely charms throughout its scant runtime.

In addition to serving as a coming-of-age story, this is also Smith’s love letter to filmgoing, particularly in the very place he spent much of his youth. Smith imbues plenty of personable details that make the time period come alive. We’re treated to fake trailers including “Sister Sugar Walls”, about a nun-turned-vigilante posing as a prostitute and “Boothies”, a Ghoulies knockoff. The film the boys initially buy a ticket to is titled “Astro Blaster”, a Flash Gordon-like sci-fi romp featuring rapper Logic in the Sam Jones role. Cutesy dialogue about how a new Batman movie would never work and jokes about Bill Cosby largely land with eyerolls, but Smith doesn’t solely rely on throwback references. For characters spending their entire day at the theater, most of the exchanges feel in line with how teens of the era would speak. Smith fills out supporting roles with dozens of cameos, many of whom are Smith regulars. Jeff Anderson, Jason Lee and Method Man are relegated to almost single lines of dialogue, while Genesis Rodriguez and Sam Richardson have slightly meatier roles. Ken Jeong is hysterical as the theater manager with a chip on his shoulder because he gets to talk to studios and is “in the movie business”. It is ultimately the main trio of actors and Siena Agudong that hold the film together so swiftly.

Courtesy Saban Films

The 4:30 Movie is a breezy and endearing film from Kevin Smith. While far from a substantive affair, this throwback feature is an entertaining hangout movie that benefits from a strong cast, easy-going laughs and a straightforward screenplay that finds Smith operating in a gentler register.

The 4:30 Movie is now playing in Select Theaters.